


Talking Is Hard

by LadyMorgaine76



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ...still..., Curtis did nothing wrong so he stays here where the boy is safe..., Extended Families, Five Years Later, Found Families, Keith loves kids and Lance's kids are adorable, Let's skip S8 entirely for now..., Miscommunication, Multi, Mutual Pining, Sofia is downright savage sometimes., The kids have chosen their future dad!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-08-23 20:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 33,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16625780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMorgaine76/pseuds/LadyMorgaine76
Summary: Five years after the last episode of S7, Team Voltron is quite different. The Coalition now has its HQs on Earth, mainly on the rebuilt and upgraded Garrison. With the reinforcement of new Defense Corps with all the new allies, the restructuring of the Blade Of Marmora, and the training of a much more diverse group of cadets from all of the ally worlds, the Paladins take the time to rebuild their own lives.Against what Lance McClain hoped for, Keith leaves with the blades without even giving the Cuban boy a chance to come clean with him.And now, they're both building up walls, filled with mutual blame and lots of miscommunication...





	1. All I Want

**Author's Note:**

> \- Title taken from Walk The Moon's album, because It's such a Klance album!-
> 
>  
> 
> Blah, Blah, Blah, disclaimer...  
> Blah, Blah, Blah, Voltron and all of its characters don't belong to me, duh...
> 
> Except my OCs! Those are mine, thank you so much!
> 
> https://twitter.com/sharklancestan - Thanks for brainstorming with me over my headcanon of Keith descending from Blaytz, through Kolivan. I like the idea of Krolia being Kolivan's daughter and the sweet irony of Keith being a direct descendant of the First Blue Paladin... and falling in love with Lance... the second one!  
> It's cute! I like cute stuff!  
> Blaytz's Galra husband's name is Dargan and their child was the one and only Marmora!
> 
> Other headcanon infos I think I should add for clarity:  
> \- Keith is of Japanese and Korean descent too.  
> \- Texas Kogane's real name is Tetsuya Yuen Kogane (I'm aware it's supposed to be the other way around, but i kept the western name in order to avoid confusion).  
> \- Keith's middle name is his grandfather's name. Grandmother is Gyu-ri.  
> \- Lance has Scottish ancestry (great-grandmother: Helen McClain), Spanish and Taíno heritage.  
> \- He speaks Spanish, English, knows some Taíno (Mima Idania Hernandez is not letting her culture die) and also picked up on portuguese from his next door neighbours, a Portuguese family that moved to Cuba before Veronica was born.  
> \- Lance's name... well, blame on Mama Rosa's obsession with the Arthurian Legends!
> 
> . Fun Fact: Rachel is actually ranked 1st on girl's popular names in Cuba on http://www.cute-baby-names.com/

**<https://open.spotify.com/track/51AxhwqcWWR0j4dLwmXBBr?si=m2PR91-DTNOVniVKMxaNQg> **

 

 

**Lance**

**Varadero,Cuba**

 

 

Time was a curious thing… depending on one's needs, it seemed to do the exact opposite of what one wished…

Time could be cruel that way, Lance pondered, watching the waves lazily roll on the white sand in front of him…

Time had crept up on him, rushing things, not giving him a minute to breathe, to process all that was happening to him. It was all fast, fast, fast! And just like that, when he’d convinced himself he'd have plenty of time to get his thoughts and feelings in order, to find the perfect time to pull Keith aside and just _talk_ to him… he was gone…

Something about reforming the Blades. The _damn Blades_! Always them, dragging him away!

Yes, he listened…

Yes, he understood the logic behind it…

Yes, it was only temporary…

But it had been long enough for his insecurities and his self deprecating thoughts to settle in…

“ _You're not good enough for him. You're still the non essential one. You're not the hotshot pilot! The Hero! Not like Keith ‘Best Pilot Of His Generation’ Akira Kogane!”_

So, like the dumbass he was, he stuffed his hands in his pockets, lowered his head and allowed Keith to leave with his new found family, complete with a brand new older sister and a ‘most likely’ new stepfather, for the likes of it!

Sure, they kept in contact!

But it wasn't the same thing…

Voltron wasn't the same thing…

His whole life wasn't the same thing…

He'd moved on, silently. Taking advantage of the fact that Voltron didn't seem to be so urgently needed these last years, he started to pick up the pieces of his shattered hopes and joined forces with the Olkarions and the Balmerans, helping to rebuild, on a pace that would be impossible for Earth’s basic technology, as many cities as they could. His home planet would never be the same, that's was for sure! The landscapes now bared resemblance to the Olkarion cities and forests, though keeping the overall feel of the different native cultures.

His beach however, felt like it had been left untouched by the ravages of the Galran warfare! Rachel often joked that their island was so small that the enemy had failed to acknowledge it completely! It wasn't exactly true but, most of its population had been evacuated as a precaution and many families had counted themselves amongst the lucky ones to have a home to come back to, including his!

That was how, five years afterwards, Lance McClain was semi-happily settled on a house by the beach, just minutes away from the rest of the McClains and the Hernandez, with three awesome adopted kids turning his life into a wonderful chaos of early mornings, healthy breakfasts, organizing backpacks and the daily run of school-kindergarten-work and so on and so forth…

He loved them!

Even when they drove him mad…

At home he felt truly needed. He was their Papi. He was _important,_ like Sofia reminded him on the daily.

“ _You are important Papi.”_

“ _Is that so!”_

“ _Uh-uhn. You make me my favourite pancakes and you always tell me awesome bedtime stories.”_

“ _Well, I'm glad to know I'm good at something…”_

“ _Papi! You're silly sometimes.”_

“ _I love you too, chiquita.”_

Yes, becoming a father had somewhat eased the pain of his unfulfilled, unspoken and unrequited love for Keith…

“Hey there, loser.” The warm voice being followed an arm around his shoulders. Her face was almost exactly like his and their two year difference was nowhere to be seen, causing most people to believe they were twins.

“Hey there, dork.”

Rachel flipped him, though she was quick to plant a kiss on her baby brother's cheek.

“Not in front of the kids, Tata…”

Rachel rolled her eyes, outstretching her arms towards where the children played in the sand.

“They're far enough not to hear us, much more pay attention to my gestures…” She gently admonished him. “And don't call me Tata!”

“Tata.”

“Stop…”

“Tata, batata.”

“Laaance”

“Mi pequeño pedacito del lado izquierdo de mi corazón… muy, muy pequeño…”

“Lo juro que te voy a pegar!”

“Pero yo te gusto…” Lance batted his eyelashes at his pouting sister. “Soy tu hermano favorito!”

Rachel pinched his arms, making him yelp. “Y quê? Te crees la ultima coca cola en el desierto?”

“An empty can, more likely…” Lance bit his lip. Why did he always do this to himself? He managed to go from playful banter with his sister to feeling that dark wave overcome him.

There was nothing more Rachel could do but pull Lance into her arms and hold him tight until he gathered himself up…

She'd always thought it was stupid to allow one's life to be so utterly controlled by a heartbreak, until it happened to Lance. It was a dumb, overused plot point in movies and paperback novels… It didn't really happen in real life…

… until she had to witness her baby brother succumb to it…

Keith Kogane was a dead man!

 

 

**Keith**

**New Altea**

 

 

“Someone's going all moody again.” Her deadpan voice reached him from the door of the strategic hall.

“Just because you’re my older sister, doesn't mean you can feel at ease to bother me whenever you miss your girlfriend.” He didn't even raise his eyes from the screen in front of him, to acknowledge Acxa’s arrival.

“At least one of us was smart enough to hold on to their own McClain!”

That had Acxa’s desired effect and she was more than satisfied to see her brother sporting a nice red shade on his face that was half flustered, half indignity.

“I- I do not… I have… no idea what you mean with that!”

“Clearly.”

“And what's that supposed to mean, now?”

“When was the last time you even made an effort to talk to Lance?” Acxa asked him, her arms crossed and her expression serious. “He's months away to become _my_ brother-in-law, and you, the utter fool you are, haven't taken the time to go back to Earth and just… talk to him!”

“There's nothing to talk about…” Keith tried lending his voice an unaffected tone, but it ended up sounding frustrated.

Just like he'd felt for the last five years…

He had done what was best, right? Lance didn't need him. Or want him. Why would he stay? Shiro was ready to get back into leading Voltron and he was needed on the Blades, helping them rearrange their entire organization. Along with his mother, he'd founded the humanitarian relief branch of the Blades. A friendly face that helped healing the wounds and bringing into the coalition other Galra and many half Galra outcast communities. It was a valuable job! One that he, as half Galra himself, seem to be perfect for!

What was he supposed to do? Stay on Earth? Keep his heart bleeding unwanted love for Lance? Watch as he got closer to Allura?

Ah! But that hadn't happen…

He removed himself from the equation so Lance would have the one he desired. It was the right thing to do, but then it all flipped and what he believed to be true, actually wasn't.

And he ended up feeling empty and miserable watching Allura and Romelle vow eternal love to each other, while Lance sported a bright smile, sincerely happy for both of them, that stopped reaching his eyes as soon as their gazes met.

Lance was mad at him and he didn't know why...

It got even worse on the third day of the reception, when an ecstatic Veronica kissed an equally elated Acxa and Lance seemed to realize he was stuck with Keith's occasional presence in his life.

“You're thinking about him right now, aren't you?” Her tone softened, watching her brother's expression fill with a pain he refused to speak of.

“Acxa, please…” His voice has ragged. A whisper, almost.

“Have you ever considered that you're only hurting due to miscommunication?”

Keith stared intently into his sisters eyes, as if he could pry whatever knowledge she had just by looking into them.

“You're engaged to Veronica,” He told her matter-of-factly. “there are things you know. Things you're withholding from me.”

Acxa walked the distance to pull Keith into her arms, holding him, steadying him.

“Oh, Keith… it doesn't work like that, you know?” She whispered into his ear. “Veronica loves and respects Lance too much to pry into his private life and feelings. Actually, Rachel would be a better informant!”

Keith let out a strangled sound that was half snort, half sob.

“Yeah… right…” He held on to his sister like her strong arms could anchor him, keep him from unraveling. “She hates me by proxy…”

“Don't you find that weird?”

“I don't know Rachel well enough to have a clear definition of what's weird for her.” He leaned back, wiping his eyes in a quick movement.

“I do!” Acxa reminded him. “And she's a wonderful, caring woman who loves her family to the death! Maybe you should rethink all of your interactions with Lance and find out just what you did, or said, that would have created this huge wall you two seem to _lovingly_ maintain between each other!”

Keith seem to ponder on that for a moment. Something wrong he could have said or done? How about almost everything? When it came to Lance, he seemed to only use two languages: Sarcasm and Foot-in-the-mouth!

Deciding which one of his inept moments had pushed Lance away was a easy as finding the proverbial needle in a haystack!

“I'm leaving for Earth in two Movements and I already told mom and Kolivan that you're coming.” Acxa announced, patting Keith's shoulder.

“You did what?!” He gaped.

“I know.” She kissed his cheek lightly, enjoying the dumbstruck expression of her baby brother. “You're welcome…”


	2. All These Things That I’ve Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Acxa and Keith prepare to come back to Earth, and probably wreack havoc amongst the McClains, Veronica decides that it might be for the best to at least make sure Rachel won't kill Keith on sight...

**<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZTpLvsYYHw>**

 

 

**Veronica**

 

_ “We're leaving tomorrow. Can't wait to see you again, love. Oh, by the way… I'm bringing my idiot with me. Don't. Tell. Yours! I might have a plan…” _

 

  Veronica read the message twice.

  Just to make sure it actually said  _ that! _

  Acxa had a plan.

  Awesome!

  Oh, boy…

  She was actually bringing Keith to the whole ‘wedding planning’ deal. Juuuust great! 

  Lance would have a fucking seizure when he realized he would be stuck with having Keith around for two whole months! This was gonna be messy, of that she was sure…

  It wasn't like she had much time to even give some heads up to Rachel, so she wouldn't feel tempted to snap Keith's neck, which she honestly could do if she wanted. With the new portal tech available to all the coalition worlds, no doubt Acxa and Keith would choose that instead of the usual lightspeed…

 Veronica searched her sister's contact and dialed her number, anxiously waiting for Rachel's figure to appear. The other girl picked up after the third signal and her flushed figure appeared on the screen.

  “Hey, Vero!” She greeted half out of breath.

  “Hey, Rach. Caught you on practice time, I see…”

  “Well, you don't get to be a part of the Olympic team by staying put on the couch, do you?”

  Veronica chuckled. These were Rachel's third Olympic games on the Cuban Judo team, but she always had a bubbly excitement about it like it was her first time!

  “You're right about that!” Her expression changed into a more worried demeanour as she remembered just  _ why _ she'd call her sister. “Listen, there's something I need to ask you. It's very important and you have to promise me to do what I ask.”

  “Damn, Vero… that sounds ominous!”

  “Rachel!”

  “Ok, ok, jeez…”

  “I received a message from Acxa. She's leaving for Earth tomorrow… and she's bringing her brother…”

  “SHE WHAT?”

  “She's bringing Keith. And you  _ are going to behave _ , or so help me God!”

  “Lance has been--”

  “Lance is as much to blame about his… heartbreak… as Keith is!” Veronica cut her sister's ranting, before the younger woman could say anything she would regret. “Yes. Keith left. Without looking back, without even trying to find a reason to stay. But, Lance didn't really gave him that reason either did he?”

  She saw her sister wavering at that. Rachel had become such fearsome protector of their baby brother that getting through her stubbornness could be… well, ‘difficult’ was a gentle word  to put it!

  “But he's been so…” Rachel sighed, sagging her shoulders visibly. “How am I just gonna drop into the conversation ‘Oh, by the way! The love of your life, you know the guy you never told about your feelings because you were too busy panicking and playing cool about it, is coming back for…’ How long will he be here?”

  “At least until the wedding.”

  “Oh, great! Awesome! So, the final two months of your wedding planning! Wow!  Where was I? Oh, yeah! ‘... for two whole months, of which you'll have to see him ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY!’”

  “You don't tell him.” Veronica told her, without missing a beat.

  “What, you kidding me?” Rachel gaped. “We're just gonna drop Keith's presence in Cuba, just like that?” She snapped her fingers dramatically.

  “Acxa says she's got a plan.” Veronica smiled, straightening her glasses.

  “Perfect…” Rachel rolled her eyes. “The honorary Kogane has a plan! Why didn't you say so before?”

  “First, easy on the sarcasm. Second… honorary Kogane?”

  “Galra don't have family names, which… weird! How do they keep count on who's related to who?”

  “Don't know. Don't care. Besides, Acxa already told me she’d love to take our last name…”

  Rachel laughed at that idea… and the lovely shade of crimson on Veronica's cheeks. 

  “Acxa McClain… Wow!”

  “And if we get lucky… and Acxa’s plan doesn't go bust… we might just add another McClain to the family on a short notice.”

  “You're a hopeless romantic Vero…”

  Both sisters sighed, resting their chins on their hands.

   “... But if it means seeing Lance finally, completely happy, then I guess ‘Keith McClain’ does have a nice ring to it!”

  Veronica froze at that.

  “Rings!”

  “What's wrong Vero?”

  “I forgot to email the ring sizes to the jewellers…” Veronica yelped.

  Rachel broke in laughter before hanging the call, leaving her panicking sister to deal with her own wedding planning mishaps…

  
  


**Shiro**

He felt like that ancient joke about not wanting to go to school, only to remember he was a grown up… but the teacher…

  Except it was Saturday and he had all the right to glare at Adam, already in uniform and smiling.

  Smiling, like the quiznaking devil he was…

  “Explain to me again just why we agreed to waste a perfectly good Saturday putting up with Iverson…” He grumbled, getting out of bed.

  Adam smirked at his husband, leaning down to kiss him softly has he handed him his uniform.

  “Because,  _ meu amor _ , you are the Admiral! Spending weekends on last minute intergalactic conferences comes with the job.”

  “You're supposed to be on my side here…”

  “I am!” His brown eyes glittered with obvious amusement.

  Shiro rose from the bed, kissing Adam on the curve of his neck before heading to the bathroom. 

  “You could have fooled me.”

 

*

 

    So, the meeting hadn't been  _ that _ boring… and in the meantime he'd managed to get some news about Allura and Romelle, and even spend some time with Hunk and Shay, which was a bonus!

  He missed the days when they were all together…

  The buzzing from his phone caught his attention. He glanced at the screen, squinting in surprise.

  “Keith?” That meant he was in-system! 

 

**Knives R Us**

“Guess where my  _ dear  _ sister is dragging me…”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Good morning to you too…”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Yeah. That too.”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Rude...

...Anyway, you're coming back?”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Apparently she needs me here -- right now! -- to assist her with the wedding preparations.”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“So…”

 

**Knives R Us**

“What?”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“You… called Lance…?”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Why is everyone asking me that lately?”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Because you're supposed to be… oh, I don't know… friends?!”

 

**Knives R Us**

“He's got a funny way to show it!”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Give him some slack. He's a busy guy, raising his kids…”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Excuses…”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Call him.”

 

**Knives R Us**

“No.”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Keith…”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Shiro…”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Your maturity called. It misses you.”

 

**Knives R Us**

“I can't call him… I'm not, and I quote,  _ allowed _ …”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“What's that supposed to mean?”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Means Acxa’s got a plan!”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Oh no…”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Mom is on her side too, you know, like a traitor… How is this my life?”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“May I remind you that you chose to leave? So, it's basically on you, kid.”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Your undying loyalty is endearing! You're the worst brother ever! Just thought you should know…”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Love you too kid… when do you arrive?”

**Knives R Us**

“At this rate? You can order a pizza for the four of us!”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“There's food at home!”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Everybody say:  _ Thank you Adam _ !”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Hey! I can cook!”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Microwaving noodles isn't cooking, Shiro…”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Lies and Slander! I feel so attacked…”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Ugh… drama queen… AND I'M RIGHT!”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Welcome back, Keith. I'm gonna call Adam now. He'll be very happy to know you're coming home.”

 

**Knives R Us**

“Give him a hug from me!”

 

**Shiro-gone**

“Will do. See you guys later!”

 

  With a wide smile, Shiro pulled up Adam's number.

  “Hey, babe! Guess who's coming back to Earth…”

  
  
  


  
  



	3. Press Restart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the McClain kids! Fluffy introduction of Sofia, Laura, Miguel and Dante.  
> Sofia is 8, the 'honorary twin's are 6 and Dante is an overly cute Beagle. Because I love dogs but can't have one...  
> Also, Rachel is having second thoughts about Acxa's plan to reunite Keith and Lance...

  

**<https://open.spotify.com/track/6qtJjCxvfv2GV10ZIEtUUo?si=sbOjNR2PSNuGF4zRSPKQZw> **

 

**Sofia**

 

  Her father's frown kept getting worse as he went through whatever stuff the people at the Garrison had sent. _That_ wasn't good!

  First, because the weather was awesome outside!

  Second, because she _really_ wanted to go to the park and her siblings were getting more obnoxious by the minute!

  “ _If only Papi would ignore the computer…”_

  She sat on the couch in front of his desk and began filling her cheeks with air and very, _very slowly_ started to release said air -- audibly, for a better result. -- and swinging one of her legs with a loud ‘thump’ on the couch each time it came down. She also tapped her fingers on the couch’s leather for good measure, all the time staring at her father…

  “Sofia…” Lance squinted on his daughter's general direction.

  “Yes, Papi?”

  “Stop that…”

  “Stop what?” She asked him with feigned innocence.

  “You know quite well what.” Lance said, trying not to smile at the attempt of his daughter to get him out of working on the reports Shiro sent him.

  “But you've been on your computer for hours, Papi…” Sofia whined dragging the word _hour_ for emphasis.

  “Thirty minutes to be exact.” Lance told her deadpan.

  “Whatever… You said we could go  get ice creams and ride our bikes at the park.”

 “Which we will.” He said, knowing damn well his concentration was gone and those reports would just have to wait until nighttime after he tucked the kids to bed. “Now, can you please go out there and convince those two stop running around, screaming their heads off?”

  “I'm a kid,” Sofia pointed at herself, not moving from the couch until Lance shut down his computer. “Controlling those wildlings isn't my responsibility…”

  “That's no way to speak of your siblings, _pequeña_!”

  “I don't remember ordering them online…”

  Lance gave Sofia a glare that didn't need any more words to it. The little girl got up, slumping her shoulders.

  “Fine… A girl can't even joke anymore, jeez!”

  “You're eight!” Lance reminded her. “You have no business sassing your Papi! That's what I get for allowing you to spend way too much time Tia Pidge…” He sighed. His older daughter had a sharp tongue and too much maturity for such a young age.

  But, then again, he guessed spending her first five years of life in an orphanage had created those walls he'd had to patiently tear down, until she'd finally began to open up and become the happy, outgoing child she was today.

  In a way, Sofia reminded him of--

  “ _Nope!_

_Not going there!_

_Not today!”_

  One day, just _one day_ , he'd be able to actually NOT casually think about stupid purple eyes and stupid long black hair, in a even more stupid ponytail!

  Stupid Keith!!!

  “Papi?”

  Of course he'd stood there like a damn statue, in the middle of the room, with a most likely dumb expression on his face, causing Sofia to worry about her father… Because, why the hell not, right?

  “Si, mija?” He tried smiling casually, like his mind wasn't doing overtime reminiscing about his favourite cross to bear…

  “Is everything… alright?” She asked him, her voice softer and visibly worried.

   _“Can you just, for once, act normal and not burden your children with your problems?”_ He silently chastised himself. “Yes, mi niña. Everything is fine. I was just thinking if I had saved the files before I turned off the computer. You know Papi gets distracted sometimes…” He leaned to pick her up, revelling on the peace that always seemed to wash over him when his attention was solely focused on his kids. “Especially when a certain little girl starts making all kinds of noises on purpose, just because she _really_ wants ice cream!”

  “And ride my bike!” Sofia added

  “And ride your bike.”

  They left for the living room, where Laura and Miguel were busy running after Dante, their three year old Beagle that was more than happy to play catch with the kids.

  “Who wants ice creams?” He asked, getting Sofia on the ground. As expected, the ‘twins’ -- they weren't blood related, but being the same age and the orphanage not being sure of Miguel’s real birthdate, they'd just began seeing themselves as twins and that had been the end of the discussion! -- had stopped on their tracks, running to their father yelling “Me, me!” as if their lives depended on it.

  On record time, and dreaming of huge bowls of ice cream, with fruit, syrup and whipped cream, the kids were ready and bolting out of the front door with Dante on tow.

  Lance smiled to himself.

  It was a perfect day. The sun was shining. His kids were happy.

  Nothing could go wrong today!

 

**Rachel**

 

  This was going to be a disaster…

  She was sure of it!

  Rachel had no idea what had possessed her onto agreeing with Vero in the first place!

  She should have warned Lance… Hell! She should have warned her parents, to begin with!

  This was a stupid idea!

  And the worst part was that _she couldn't even blame Kogane for it!_

  Because, due to her sister's fully supporting her fiancee’s plan, the guy was completely oblivious to the fact that:

  One-  Lance didn't know he was coming this early before the wedding.

  Two- That their were being thrown into each other's presence just like that!

  Rachel had the nagging feeling this was gonna go sideways and Acxa’s plans would blow up in their faces…

  She pulled out her phone, trying to figure out what to do, who to call. She could just call Lance! That would put the subject to rest! Except she knew he would spend the rest of the time until the wedding avoiding ALL of them just to be on the safe side, and eventually the kids would be affected by their father's awkward behaviour…

  She could just call Veronica and put an end to the plan altogether. But her older sister was absolutely convinced her wife-to-be as a fucking genius, so… there was that…

  Rachel ran through her contact list, trying to decide her next step.

  There was _one_ number she didn't have…

  Which was probably _the one person_ she should talk to…

  “Damn it!” She muttered to herself. Was she really gonna do this? She went again through the numbers, knowing exactly who to call to get the one number she knew she needed. Biting her lower lip she tapped the contact icon. It rang twice before she heard the voice answering the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi..” She said, suddenly feeling silly about it all. “Uh… Shiro?”

  “Yes?”

  “It's, uh, Rachel McClain? Lance's sis--”

  “Of course! Rachel!” Shiro seemed happy to hear her. That was a good thing… right…? “How are you? Is everything ok with Lance and the kids?”

  “Yes, everything's just peachy!” _Peachy! What the hell? Am I going brain dead now?_ “It's just that… well… would it be asking too much, if I asked you for Keith's number? It's a really pressing matter…”

  There was a pause on the other side of the line.

  “Uh… sure?! Doesn't Lance have his number? I know they don't speak that often now but… I thought he still kept his contact!”

  “Lance doesn't know.” Rachel let out, almost a grumble.

  “He doesn't know you want to talk to Keith?”

  “No.” She swallowed. _Oh, boy…_ “He doesn't know Keith's here…”

  Another pause.

  “HE WHAT?” The explosion from Shiro made Rachel peel the phone away from her ear…

… Very far away…

  “Are you serious?” Shiro asked, the outrage pouring through his words and they he seemed to clip each syllable. “I'm going to kill someone! Just not sure which one of the disaster siblings!”

  “Well… see? Thing is, Keith has no idea Lance wasn't informed of his arrival. This is all on Vero and Acxa! But, since one is my sister and the other is said sister's bride, I don't think that will be a good idea.”

  “So what's _your_ plan?” He asked, sounding somewhat more calm and collected.

  “Talk to Keith? The rest I'll just wing it…” She admitted. It wasn't a solid plan. It had flaws, like having to control herself from judo flipping Kogane on sight! But it sure beat the Chaotic Bride's plan…

  “Ok, Rachel. I'm sending you his number. Just… cut him some slack, will you? He's an asshole sometimes, but I think there's always been more to their distancing than we'd been led to believe.” Shiro told her, sounding concerned.

  “He never told you why?” Rachel asked him, puzzled over the fact that Shiro seemed to be as much in the dark about Keith's lack of contact with the people that were supposed to have become his best friends… his family!

  “He never spoke to anyone about it. It's a subject he promptly deflects.” Shiro said. “Something happened five years ago… I just don't know what. No one does.”

  Rachel huffed. That seemed like a Keith thing to do. Just not talking about stuff.

  He'd struck her as someone who had walls of steel around him. Didn't smile much. Hardly spoke. But Lance seemed to have a way with him! But suddenly Keith Kogane left with the Blades and Lance seemed to, somehow, blame it on himself.

  But he never once spoke of what had happened…

  If indeed something _had_ happened!

  Rachel was under the impression that this huge mess had its root on a serious case of miscommunication between the two of them. While conversation where focusing around Voltron, their mission or just their usual banter, it all seemed to flow effortlessly. But when it came to personal issues? Feelings?

  Those boys were a walking disaster!

  And before they knew, five years had gone by, and the two of them kept what was a painfully forced facade of courtesy on the team’s yearly encounter. It was awkward and sometimes painful to watch.

  It was about time that charade stopped!

  They were going to sit down and talk, even if she had to tie the two of them together!

  She said her farewells to Shiro, dead set on her own plan.

  They might not end up together, like she knew Vero and Acxa were planning. But, _by God_ …

  Rachel was gonna make sure her brother and Keith would have a real talk and solve their issues once and for all!

       

  


  


	4. One Foot In Front Of The Other!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel confronts Keith and finds out he's actually an oblivious dumbass...  
> So, what else is knew?  
> Lance finds out Keith is back on Earth.
> 
> *UCC - Universal Coalition Currency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S8 doesn't exist in my universe!  
> So, there!

 

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05v4nfUmBYI>

 

 

**Keith**

 

This was probably a bad idea…

Meeting Rachel to talk about _things_ wasn't exactly what he'd planned for the day, but outright saying no to her was also not an option.

The McClain women had that effect on everyone, to be honest! They knew exactly what to do and say to get their way!

Lance had obviously taken after his father…

When the phone rang yesterday night and he picked up only to recognise Rachel's voice, a dismayed _Oh no…_ echoed through his brain. Still, it hadn't been that bad!

She hadn't antagonized him like he had dreaded. As a matter of fact, she had sounded almost _nice?_

So, here he was, on a promenade overlooking the white beaches of Varadero, anxiously awaiting for whatever Rachel wanted from him.

Could be about his sisters’ wedding!

But it was probably about Lance… he just knew it. He was aware the others saw how awkward his friendship with Lance had become over the last years. The natural closeness they’d developed in space had changed into something more… strained…

He hated it!

But he had no one else to blame but himself. He’d made the choice to leave without giving Lance the real reason behind it. By fearing their friendship would be at risk if he came forward with his feelings, he’d done exactly that!

“ _Way to go genius!”_ He chastised himself. He found himself doing the same mistake over and over again… It was like watching an accident happen in slow-motion but being unable to stop it!

“Jeez, Kogane… with that look on your face, you take my will to give you a hard time, since you already seem to be doing that on your lonesome self…”

Keith looked up from with cup of that overly strong coffee that he was still trying to get used to, to see Rachel approaching his table. pulling up the chair in front of him, she sat with a nonchalant expression, signaling the waiter. “I would ask how you’re doing, but your overall demeanour is way more honest than whatever crap would fall out of your mouth.”

“Hello to you too, Rachel!” He mumbled, sipping his coffee a bit too enthusiastically and burning his tongue in the process.

“Yup! That’s what he said!”

“Who?”

“Shiro! Apparently space is an awful place to keep up with your good manners…” She smirked.

Keith raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled at her. “So, now you and Shiro bad mouth me for fun?”

“It’s not bad mouthing, Kogane…”

“I have a first name.”

“I know… Kogane…”

“McClain…” He huffed.

“You wish!” She winked, turning to the waiter to place her order.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” Keith leaned forward, squinting at Rachel.

“You know damn well what I meant with that! As opposed to my dear brother, I can actually see what’s right in front of me.” She began. “And I’ve been paying attention to the way you look at Lance, like my brother was an oasis in the middle of the desert, or something…”

“I have not!” Keith complained, his cheeks feeling uncomfortably warm. Discussing his feelings with Lance’s female lookalike was unsettling to say the least!

On her side of the table, looking quite pleased with herself, Rachel pulled her phone from her purse, waving it at Keith. “Yes, you have! But we can always confirm that… do you want me to call your brother, or your sister?”

Keith leaned back into his chair, pouting and crossing his arms… like the mature adult he was… “Fine!”

The waiter approached them, placing Rachel’s order on the table and measuring Keith with an appreciative look.

“Popular…” Rachel teased him.

“Do I look like I care?” Keith bit off.

“Apparently you don’t… So, what are we going to do about your pining over Lance?”

“Oh, my God!” Keith raked his fingers through his hair, making a frustrated sound. “What’s wrong with all of you? First Acxa, then your sister… and Shiro… and now you? can’t I just move on? I’ve been fine for these last five years, you know?”

“Oh, I know you’re a survivor, Keith!” Rachel stared into his eyes intently. “But picking yourself up and carrying on doesn’t always equal being actually happy! Neither you nor Lance are the kind to allow themselves to stand still in time. I know you guys weren’t made to wallow in pain eternally. But, have you truly, completely _moved forward_?”

“ _No.”_ His brain yelled at him. “I have my life in order!” He lied.

Rachel rolled her eyes, downing her coffee. “Sure… look, I wanna help you. Both of you!”

“What makes you think I want your help? Better yet, what makes you think Lance needs any help? He’s fine! He has his kids and it’s not like he ever had any interest in me…”

“Are you sure?”

“He was in love with Allura! Just because their relationship didn’t work out--”

“Say that again?!?” Rachel gaped at Keith. _So that was it!!!_

“What? That Lance and Allura broke up?”

“Oh, my God! OH MY GOD! KEITH! YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS!” She yelled. “That was your problem? You thought...? Oh my dear God… Keith! They were never a couple! What the fuck?”

It was Keith’s turn to gape at Rachel. He felt like time stood still. That sinking feeling on his stomach was threatening to make him fall into a panicked state.

“What the fuck?” Rachel repeated.

“They went on a date…?” He tried reasoning.

“Did you ask ANY of them if it was a date?”

“No…” He muttered.

“Well, newsflash! It wasn’t! Lance wanted to talk to Allura. Just that. I don’t know about what. I didn’t ask. It wasn’t my problem. “She said, frustration filling her voice. “What I know is that, they came out of it good friends and he wanted to speak with you. But, guess what?”

Keith shut his eyes, feeling lost. “I avoided him like the plague and then left…” He sighed.

“Bingo!” Rachel snapped her fingers. “And now I understand why!”

“I thought I was doing what was best for him…” He leaned his head into his hands. “For both of them… I…”

“You loved him…” Rachel extended her hand, brushing his fingers lightly. What a mess this all was…

“Yes…” There. He’d said it. And to Lance’s sister nonetheless.

“You still do.”

Keith hummed in agreement, his voice suddenly caught in his throat. “What do I do? How do I at least make amends with him? How do I restore our friendship to what it was?”

“Not telling him you’re here wasn’t going to help your case, you know?” She smiled at him. “What made you think Veracxa’s plans are any good?”

“Ver-what?” He stood suddenly upright.

“It’s what we call them…”

“Who’s we?”

“Me,” Rachel enunciated, counting her fingers. “Marco, Hunk and Shay...and Pidge!” she gave him a lopsided grin. “We have names for every couple! We even had a name for you and Lance, but you blew it…”

“Do I wanna know?” He side-eyed her.

“Straighten up this mess—or gay up, whatever…--, woo my brother properly and if you succeed, I’ll tell you!” She shrugged.

“Why are you interested in… pairing me up with your baby brother? I kinda thought you were more interested in yeeting me back into space…” Keith squinted, taking a defensive position.

“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m actually a hopeless romantic…”

His gaze intensified. “You have a betting pool!” He dead-panned.

“I take offence in that, Kogane!”

“Ha!”

She slumped her shoulders. “100 UCCs*...” She admitted. “But i _want_ to see Lance happy!”

“What did you bet on?”

“What do you think?”

“So, I gather you have a plan?” Keith asked, getting up and reaching for his wallet as the waiter approached their table.

“I have a plan!” Rachel smiled victoriously.

“Fuck!”

 

 

 

**Lance**

 

 

“Lance! Buddy! Pal!” Hunk’s voice was _way_ too over-excited for Lance to be completely at ease with it.

“What do you need, Hunk?” He asked with a tired sigh.

“Me? Nothing… I was just… wondering how my friend was doing, you know?” Hunk giggled nervously.

“Sure… You suck at lying, you know? Spill it out…”

“Uh…” It occurred to Lance that Hunk was regretting having called and that there was _something_ he was hiding. “Has… someone… uh… called you, or something?”

“No. Was someone supposed too? Come on Hunk! It’s me! What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Well…”

“Spill it, Hunk!”

“I saw Acxa!”

“I know…” Lance chuckled. “She’s been here yesterday, to see the kids.”

“Alone?”

“No. With Veronica!”

“Just Veronica?” He asked.

“HUNK! Just tell me what’s bothering you…” And like a flash, a thought crossed his mind. _Keith!_ “Oh…”

“Yeah…” Hunk’s voice sounded sympathetic.

“He came too… I… did not know that…” Why hadn’t Veronica said something? Why was she hiding Keith’s presence back on Earth? What if…? What if it was _Keith_ who didn’t want him to know about his arrival?

No. That was stupid!

Just because they weren’t as close as before, he’d always come by to at least talk to him and his family, spend some time with all of them, with the team…

“Can I leave you on hold for just one sec?”

“Sure, Lance. I’ll wait.”

Lance pressed pause and pulled up another contact…

 

**Soccer Dad**

“First of all: DID YOU CHANGE MY CONTACT NAME? HOW DARE...?

Second: You’re dead… I know Keith’s here and I know you chose not to tell me!”

 

**The Best McClain**

“First of all: What are you gonna do about, Junior?

Second: Shut up and trust me…”

**The Best Red Paladin Ever!**

“You’re lucky I’ve got Hunk on hold! We’ll talk about this later!”

**Miss Know-it-all**

“LANCELOT ESTEBAN!!!

I’M CHANGING THE CONTACT NAME BACK!

Also: Cool your jets, _hermanito_!”

 

“Hey, Hunk. I’m back…” Lance grunted. “Just had to put Veronica on notice, because I know she’s behind this!”

“You could just call Keith, you know?” Hunk reasoned with Lance.

“Ahahah… No.”

“Why are you like this?”

“Am I the one who apparently _dropped by_ for a visit? No. I’m not! Proper manners says that the visiting person is the one who has to call. Not the visited one… not that he’s visiting _me_ anyway…”

Hunk’s frustrated huff was audible on the other side of the line. “Stubborn! Both of you! Hard headed! Insufferable!” Hunk bit out. “If you’d actually get your shit together, I’d dare say you’d be perfect for each other!”

“Hey!”

“Not my fault you can’t handle the truth!”

“If you think…” Lance whined a bit more high pitched then he intended too. “I would _ever_ even consider - no! - want to--”

“Oh, shut up Lance! Like I don’t know how you really feel about the guy…”

“I hate you…” Lance grumbled without any conviction.

“So, no cappuccino cupcakes?”

“Rude! I’m telling the kids you’re refusing to bring us the cupcakes!”

“Wow! That was low, buddy…” Hunk laughed. “Using the kids to make me feel bad? Not cool, Lance… Not cool…”

“See you two at dinner?”

“We’ll be there!”

“Bye.”

“Bye, don’t give Veronica a hard time…”

“I think I can handle my own sister, thanks!” Lance chuckled.

“In other words: You’re calling your mom.”

A wide smile spread across Lance’s face. “You bet I am!”

 

 

 


	5. Avalanche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets thrown right into the fire by Rachel, and now him and Lance can't avoid this conversation anymore...

 

<https://youtu.be/ECBhz_1AaSM>

 

   **Keith**

 

  When Rachel told him she had a plan, he actually hoped it was better than Acxa’s…

  Hell, he hoped it was better than Veronica's!

  But driving him to Lance's home, ringing the bell and excusing herself off with the kids, was definitely NOT what Keith considered a _good plan_ …

  Now, he stood awkwardly in Lance's living room trying to find something smarter to say than weather comments and inconsequential small talk.

  He had something to say. The problem was getting his brain and mouth to cooperate! So, like a dumbass, he found himself simply whispering ‘Hi…’, as if the mere presence of Lance in front of him was enough to render him speechless…

  Which… Yeah…

  It was…

   _“Oh, my god! He's got an undercut! Why does he look so good with an undercut? Did he just shower? He smells like coconut, and his hair is all… Oh, my god! Am I staring? He's looking at me weird. Fuck! I'm staring. I'm definitely staring. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”_

  He was gonna blame Rachel for his state of mental disarray.

  She was the one who'd dropped all of that info on him just like that! And then literally dropped him there!

  “Uh… Hi…?” Lance awkwardly replied, eyeing him questionably. “Is everything ok?”

  Keith forced himself to focus and to stop his mind from rambling. “Yeah. It's fine. Good.” _Shit…_ a shovel would be quicker to dig the proverbial hole in the ground!

  “Okaaaaay… I'll just pretend it's normal for you to just show up at my house like this,” Lance scoffed. “or… we can cut the bullshit and _you_ can start telling me what you actually want.”

  Keith took a deep breath. This was it. He could do what he always did and avoid this, or he could, for once, not be so scared of talking about feelings and get this over with…

  Rip it like a band-aid…

  “I came here to settle something.”

  “You mean Rachel dropped you off, not giving you a choice!” Lance cut him off.

  “It wasn't-- Ok. Fine! She did that! But I did want to talk to you. Just not… right now…”

  “When, then? Next year? Next decade? Because putting off conversations is kind of your thing…”

  “Wow! Ok, first of all… No!” Keith whined, crossing his arms defensively.

  “Keith… I could give you a list!” Lance snorted, rolling his eyes. “Do you want it alphabetically ordered or by level of importance?”

  Keith offered Lance a grin that made the latter raise an eyebrow. “Hmmm… like the reason for the made up rivalry? No, wait… that's on my list of _your_ avoided themes!”

  “It's not like you stayed around long enough for us to have a real talk about… things!” Lance bit back, his frustration levels rising.

  There it was…

  Why they didn't seem to be able to move forward with whatever their relationship was supposed to be.

  There were too many things left unsaid. Too many grudges held over seemingly ridiculous issues, that had undermined their friendship and held Lance down from accepting the shift in his feelings for Keith, and acting on it later on.

  And then Keith was gone…

  “It's not like you needed me to stay, getting in the way of you and Allura!” Keith froze. _That_ was not supposed to come to light… “Shit…”

  “What?” Lance choked out.

  “I...uh...you- you said I was gone…”

   _“Oh god.. I said it out loud…”_ Lance groaned internally. Keith had come here to talk to him - Ok, maybe not voluntarily… semantics! - and he was making a mess of it!  

_“Wait…”_

  “Wait a minute…” He sobered up, the complete meaning of Keith's words hitting him. “Getting in the way of what, now?!?”

  “Shit…”

  “Nope. No, no, no, no… You're not going to just pretend you didn't say a goddamn thing! I've got good hearing! So, start explaining that stuff about getting in the way of me and Allura!”

  “ Of Allura and I…”

  “KEITH AKIRA KOGANE! Don't get sassy on me!”

  “Fine…” Keith grumbled. Might as well get it over with… Even if he was scared senseless… “I thought you'd gone out on a date with Allura! I thought… you _liked_ each other. I thought you were together… I couldn't stay and watch it happening. She was my friend and you…” He closed his eyes, allowing the memory of that to come back to him like a wave. “I couldn't stay and eventually hurt both of you, because I was jealous… I couldn't avoid it, but at the same time, I was ashamed of those feelings. They were threatening to consume me like venom. I had no right to that jealousy, because you didn't belong to me. You were in no way obligated to reciprocate my feelings for you… So, I left. I believed it was the best course of action.”

  Lance stood there, gaping at Keith. It was surreal…

  He said…

  Keith had _really_ said…

  “Your feelings…?”

  “Yes, Lance.” Keith sighed. “I…” He clenched his hands until he felt his nails burying on his palms. He couldn't lose it now. No matter what came after, he had to tell him. It had been too many years silent! “I loved you… I still do.”

  Lance didn't know how to feel. Too many thoughts, too many emotions ran through him, shaking him to his core. “You asshole…”

  “What?” Keith felt like the ground was failing him. Had it been the wrong thing to say? Had it been too soon?

  Lance raised his eyes, now staring right into Keith's purple ones. A glint of a distant pain surfacing. “You absolutely stubborn, self-sacrificing moron! You left! Without a word! Without an explanation!”

  “What was I supposed to do? Stay and grovel myself at your feet? Come to you with a confession that could have destroyed my friendship with both you and Allura?”

  “You were supposed to be honest with us… with me!”

  “I thought you didn't care!” Keith cried out, his body stiff, the anxiety beginning to crawl back, making his stomach churn.

  “Didn't care?!” Lance let out a nervous laugh, dripping with sarcasm. The fucking irony… “I was in love with you, Keith!”

  There! Done! Said!

  An uncomfortable silence took over the two men as realisation of all they'd told each other dawned on them.

  It was Keith of broke the silence first. “Then why didn't you say something?” His voice was pained. All he could think of was how many years had been wasted over lack of communication.

  No. Over his cowardice.

  “Because I was confused!” Lance avoided Keith's searching gaze, keeping his eyes on the floor. “At the time I was afraid I was going in too deep, to fast… I'd just come to terms with the true nature of my feelings for Allura, I wasn't going to blow it by just dropping an ‘I love you’ like that! I mean, what kind of an idiot does that? I wanted to talk to you, tell you I had these feelings for you, and if you wanted to, just take it slow, you know? I wanted it to happen naturally. I wanted dates, get to really know each other…” He said, feeling like a heavy weight was being lifted, bit by bit, from his chest. Like he could finally start breathing again.

  “We knew each other…” Keith's voice came sounding a bit more vulnerable than he'd wished for. But the floodgates had burst, and he could no longer pretend his love for Lance hadn't been a constant, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

  Lance offered him a smile. “We didn't… not completely.” He stepped closer to Keith, tentatively reaching for his chin, gazing upon that beloved face. “Not the way two people should know each other when they're in a relationship. The little things, the small daily routines, the quirks… I don't even know if I like the way you squeeze your toothpaste, Keith!” His lips curled with a hint of the mischievous young man he'd been resurfacing.

  “The way I -- Wait…” It was Keith's turn to smile. Lance was joking. He was wholeheartedly, unabashedly joking with that last sentence! “That was you messing with me right there, wasn't it?”

  Lance let out a chuckle. He hadn't felt this at ease with Keith for years! “Yes, Keith… I'm not dead inside, you know? Frustrated, sure! But the human heart is a wondrous thing… it has the uncanny ability to heal and allow us to move on.”

  “Oh… So… You don't… feel the same anymore?” Doubt seeped through his mind, gnawing at him. It had been years… Lance wasn't obligated to still harbour those same feelings for him...

  “ _That_ is an answer you're not getting today!”

  And there he was!

  The old Lance in all his unnerving glory!

  A confident smirk and glowing ocean eyes that _could_ bring Keith to his knees if Lance so desired…

  … The sexy asshole!

  “Why?” Keith whined, like the mature twenty five year old he was…

  “Because you came here looking for easy solutions, instant rewards…” His hands were on each side of Keith's cheeks, putting a wonderful tone of crimson in the former black paladin's face. “You stand before me, with that damn smile on your face, thinking you'll just sweep me off my feet? Telling me you loved me? You asked why I didn't tell you anything… well, why didn't you?”

  Right…

  Lance wouldn't let him off that easily without a more thorough explanation…

  “Because I couldn't burden you with my feelings.” He admitted. “Because I believed it was Allura you loved. Because I thought she was beginning to see in you what I'd always seen. Because… I thought being with her would make you happy…”

  “So you took it upon yourself to make that decision? To take away my right to choose?” It was a simple question. No recriminations. No accusations.

  “How could I face you and bare my heart to you? It wasn't so much the fear of being rejected… it was the fear of losing your friendship over it.”

  “YOU LEFT!” Lance reminded him. “ _That_ is what damaged our friendship! I've hardly seen you these last five years, and when I do it's always so awkward! We smile, we throw around a couple of terse sentences, that almost sound rehearsed, and then it's over… another year goes by and I only get fleeting messages.”

  Keith knew he was right.

  It had always been him to keep those metaphorical walls up.

  It had been him, avoiding being all alone with Lance for more than five minutes.

  It had been him choosing to leave each time.

  “I'm sorry, ok? I know I fucked up!” Keith really didn't wanna sound like he was pleading…

  Yeah!

  He was totally pleading!

  “Language…” Lance snorted.

  “Really?” Keith rolled his eyes

  “Yeah, really! Rachel drops you off here, just like that. You think all you need to do is take my hands and confess your feelings after all this time… You got a lot to prove, mister!”

   “I do love you!”

   “Do you really?” Lance asked him, suddenly grabbing one of Keith's hands and squeezing it lightly. “Do you love me? The idea of me? Or the memory of who I was?”

  “I love _you_ !” Keith repeated, desperately trying to convey to Lance the sincerity and depth of his feelings. “The real you! _All_ of you!”

  Lance's smile brightened his whole demeanour. There was an air of tenacity to him, a self-assurance that shook Keith.

  “Then show me! Not today, not this exact moment, not rushed.” Lance touched Keith's lips with two of his fingers, cutting off whatever reprieve Keith had intended to give him. “This isn't just about me, Keith! I'm a father now. I have three wonderful kids!” He reminded him. “I do not have the disposition for an affair. I need more than that… I need commitment. I need stability, permanence… I need someone I can bring home and introduce to my children. I need someone who will accept them too… Show me you can be all that - that you _want all that_! - and you won't have to ask me what I feel for you now. You'll know!”

  Keith was floating!

  As stupid, clichê, rom-com thing that was, THAT was how he felt!

  So, Lance wanted him to prove his love?

  He could do that! He so could do that! “Challenge accepted!” He smirked.

  “You're an asshole...” Lance rolled his eyes, thought that wide smile hadn't left his lips.

  “Maybe…” Keith leaned, until he was practically whispering on Lance's ear. “But you love me.”

  Lance put on a mock offended look. “I haven't given you my answer yet!”

  “You kinda...uh… did.”

  “Sixty days, Keith!” Lance said. And he couldn't believe that… jerk… had just given him a lopsided grin!

  Who did he think he was?

  The sexiest guy around?

  Yes… yes he was… who was Lance trying to fool?

    “And after that?” Said sexiest guy asked.

  And he _winked_? Come on!

  “We have a wedding reception to attend,” He said. Reprimanding himself internally for allowing his thoughts to wander off… “and decisions to make…”

  “Lance?”

  “Yes?”

  Keith started slowly turning towards the backyard where three, oblivious to the grown ups matters, children happily played with their dog, being attentively watched by their aunt. His gaze went from that homely scenery to Lance's figure, taking in how beautiful the man he loved was.

  Inside and out...

  “Save the last dance for me…” He whispered, before opening the french doors and stepping outside.

  Inside, a dumbstruck Lance weighed all that had just happened.

  His entire world had taken a one-eighty!

  Lance really didn't want to admit he was feeling giddy like a fucking teenager, but that was exactly how he was feeling!

  He could stay there and smile to himself like a dumbass…

  Or he could go outside and for once just go with the flow…

  He chose the latter!

 


	6. Different Colours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith panics and the whole 'Gane clan comes together to plot...  
> ... And maybe give him a hard time!
> 
> Knives R Us is Keith  
> Shiro-gone is Shiro  
> Stressed-Gane is Kuron  
> X-Wing Pilot is Curtis  
> OriginalKnifeGirl is Acxa

 

**<https://youtu.be/ww7RNf2R14U> **

 

**Knives R Us**

SHIROOOOOO!

**Shiro-gone**

KEITH! WHAT THE HELL?

**Knives R Us**

Why would you yell at your own brother like that? I'm-

**Shiro-gone**

Slow breaths at the count of four…

Now, kindly tell me why you're hyperventilating, maybe?

**Knives R Us**

I'm… Not…?

**Shiro-gone**

A likely story. You gonna spill or do I have to add Kuron to the gc?

**Knives R Us**

Uh? No, thanks?

He's worse than you?

**Shiro-gone**

Good idea! Let me get him!

**Knives R Us**

Shiro………

**Shiro-gone**

Keith……..

 

 **_Shiro-gone_ ** _added_ **_Stressed-Gane_ ** _to the chat_

**Stressed-Gane**

Good morning… I hate you all…

**Shiro-gone**

Hmmmm

**Knives R Us**

Hmmmm

**Stressed-Gane**

I WAS? BUSY?

**Shiro-gone**

Oh? Should I add Curtis?

**Stressed-Gane**

Shiro, no…

**Knives R Us**

Shiro, yes!

**Stressed-Gane**

I'm… betrayed?

By my own family?

 **_Knives R Us_ ** _added_ **_X-Wing Pilot_ ** _to the chat_

**X-Wing Pilot**

Good morning, banes of my existence…

… and to the love of my life!

**Knives R Us**

I'm regret…

**X-Wing Pilot**

You added me, ‘Gabe Jr…

**Shiro-gone**

*Gabe

**Stressed-Gane**

*Gabe

**Knives R Us**

*Gabe

**X-Wing Pilot**

Shut up, perhaps?

I meant Gane…

Where's Adam?

I need my favourite brother-in-law to keep your salty asses in check!

**Shiro-gone**

It's final exams week at the Garrison.

**X-Wing Pilot**

Ugh…

Right…

I do not miss that!

**Knives R Us**

No one does.

**Shiro-gone**

FIRST OF ALL!!!

You… didn't have a final exam…?

Second:

Guys?

Don't let Keith avoid the subject?

Please and thank you?

 

**Knives R Us**

I'm not the one who's rambling here?

Rude…

**Stressed-Gane**

Spill!

What happened at Casa de Lance?

**Knives R Us**

I don't remember telling you I was going to Cuba.

**Stressed-Gane**

Hmmmm

**X-Wing Pilot**

Hmmmm

**Shiro-gone**

Hmmmm

**Knives R Us**

Thanks, Shiro.

**Shiro-gone**

Anything for my little brother.

**Stressed-Gane**

ANYWAYS!

**Knives R Us**

Ugh… Fine!

I might have…

Spilled?

Everything?

**Stressed-Gane**

Oh?

**Shiro-gone**

Oh?

**X-Wing Pilot**

Oh?

**Knives R Us**

Seriously?

I don't know why I bother…

**Shiro-gone**

Because you love us.

**Knives R Us**

I love Lance.

You?

I tolerate…

**Shiro-gone**

Yeah right…

**Shiro-gone**

Wait…

**Stressed-Gane**

Who are you and what have you done with Keith?

**X-Wing Pilot**

Did he just…?

**Stressed-Gane**

HE SURE DID!

 **_X-Wing Pilot_ ** _added_ **_OriginalKnifeGirl_ ** _to the chat_

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

OooooooOooooOooooo

**Knives R Us**

I'd like to thank my brother-in-law for betraying me like this.

**X-Wing Pilot**

Respect your sister, please…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

I came here to have a good time and honestly? I feel so attacked right now…

**Knives R Us**

Oh, God…

**Stressed-Gane**

Can't wait for Acxa to become a full time McClain!

**Shiro-gone**

I heard someone else wants to become a full time McClain!

**Knives R Us**

I hate you all.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

So, I talked to Vero…

**Knives R Us**

Oh, no…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

… Who talked to Rachel…

**X-Wing Pilot**

Go on…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

… Who talked to Lance…

**Knives R Us**

Fucking Lance!

**Shiro-gone**

You wish!

**Stressed-Gane**

What he said ^^^^^^

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

ANYWAYS…

I heard someone was really happy?

Like, really, _really_ happy?

**Knives R Us**

Oh?

**Shiro-gone**

Now, he cares!

**Stressed-Gane**

Spill it, Keith!

**Knives R Us**

We just talked?

**X-Wing Pilot**

I heard you got dumped at Lance's door by Rachel.

**Knives R Us**

And you would know that how???

**X-Wing Pilot**

*Has left the chat*

**Knives R Us**

That's not how it works, Curtis!

**X-Wing Pilot**

…………………………

**Knives R Us**

Whatever…

Anyways.

We talked and I _might_ have gone overboard and just…

Told him?

**Shiro-gone**

You confessed?

**Knives R Us**

Mayhaps I did?!

**Stressed-Gane**

I demand evidence!

**Knives R Us**

HAHA!

No.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

I heard you got bold!

**X-Wing Pilot**

Oh?

**Knives R Us**

Curtis go back to lurking in the shadows challenge failed.

**Stressed-Gane**

Keith stop using Ancient Twitter Memes™ challenge failed.

**Knives R Us**

Pot to the kettle!

**Shiro-gone**

The _bold_ part, please?

**Knives R Us**

So, uh… yeah…

I may have just _poured my fucking heart out to Lance_ , thank you very much!

And he just…

Ugh…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

*gets popcorn*

**Stressed-Gane**

*pours himself some tea*

**Shiro-gone**

*leans forward*

**X-Wing Pilot**

*lurks*

**Knives R Us**

*facepalms*

HE WANTS ME TO PROVE MY LOVE FOR HIM, OK?!

**Shiro-gone**

I guess that was not the outcome you expected?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

He thought Lance would just swoon at his feet…

**Knives R Us**

No.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Yes.

**Knives R Us**

Now, listen…!

I'm not _that..._

**Stressed-Gane**

...Naive

**Shiro-gone**

...Gullible

**X-Wing Pilot**

...Desperate

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

...Amongst other things...

**Knives R Us**

I am NEVER telling you guys anything again!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

What other options do you have?

Pidge?

Mom?

**Shiro-gone**

Allura?

Which… by the way…

_KEITH!!!_

**Knives R Us**

I KNOW!

**Stressed-Gane**

Hmmm

**Knives R Us**

I'll call her after you guys stop harassing me…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Wait for me!

I wanna witness this!

**Knives R Us**

Uh, No, thanks!

**X-Wing Pilot**

I was thinking…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Oh, boy…

**Shiro-gone**

Oh, boy…

**Knives R Us**

Oh, boy....

**Stressed-Gane**

Oh, boy....

**X-Wing Pilot**

Babe.

Love of my life.

Apple of my eye.

You…

You… betray me…

Like this?

I'm-

**Stressed-Gane**

Curtis…

**X-Wing Pilot**

Yes, babe?

**Knives R Us**

NONE OF THIS IS HELPING MY CASE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

**X-Wing Pilot**

That's why we're flying to Cuba this weekend!

**Shiro-gone**

We are?

**X-Wing Pilot**

Yes.

Tell Adam to bring his surfboard!

**Knives R Us**

Why…?

Are…?

You…?

Coming here?!?

**X-Wing Pilot**

You need help, kiddo!

**Shiro-gone**

He's right!

**X-Wing Pilot**

Awww…

My second favorite brother-in-law…

**Knives R Us**

Gee, thanks…

 **X-Wing** **Pilot**

One - Sweep Lance off his feet.

Two - Add those awesome kids to the family.

*can't wait to be an uncle…*

And I might consider it.

**Shiro-gone**

You would demote me like that?

**X-Wing Pilot**

The kids, Shiro…

The kids…

Which reminds me!

Kuron, honey…

We need to have a serious conversation!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

OooooOooooOooooo

**Knives R Us**

Acxa!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Keith!

**Knives R Us**

Leave them be!

WHICH IS BEING MORE CONSIDERATE ABOUT YOUR PRIVATE LIFE, THEN YOU ARE WITH MINE!

Just a reminder…

**Shiro-gone**

Admit it.

You need our help!

Do _you_ have a plan?

**Knives R Us**

Ugh…

No.

**X-Wing Pilot**

See?

We are going to use our expertise to help you get your man!

**Stressed-Gane**

What were you planning to do?

**Knives R Us**

I don't know?!

That's why I messaged Shiro?!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Have you tried asking him on a date?

**Knives R Us**

Not yet…

It seemed too… forced?

He'd just given me the 60 day deadline, and I thought maybe just then…?

**Shiro-gone**

Ok, fair enough.

Text him tomorrow and ask!

**Stressed-Gane**

Text him?

Were you raised by wolves?

**Shiro-gone**

No. That was Keith.

Originally?

I was raised in Kyoto.

This awesome body?

On a tube…

Like you…

**Stressed-Gane**

Rude.

Do. Not. Text him, Keith!

Call him.

You know, make it personal?

**X-Wing Pilot**

Use your sexy voice!

**Stressed-Gane**

Really?

**X-Wing Pilot**

I'm encouraging him, babe…

**Knives R Us**

I'm going to sleep now.

Can't handle any more of your plotting…

**Stressed-Gane**

Keith?

**Knives R Us**

Yeah?

**Stressed-Gane**

You do know we're here for you?

**Shiro-gone**

Same.

**X-Wing Pilot**

Ditto.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

What they said.

**Knives R Us**

Yeah, yeah…

I know.

Seriously guys, thank you for putting up with my meltdowns…

**Shiro-gone**

That's what family's for!

**Stressed-Gane**

Don't worry.

You got this.

**X-Wing Pilot**

Go get your mans!!!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Don't forget. We have Vero on our side!

No, go get some decent sleep!

AND USE A PONYTAIL ON YOUR DATE, YOU DUMBASS!

**Knives R Us**

Love you too, Acxa.

Goodnight y’all!

**X-Wing Pilot**

G’night!

**Stressed-Gane**

Goodnight kiddo.

**Shiro-gone**

Goodnight little brother.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

What they said.

*Love you, baby brother!*

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. The Sound Of Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally starts acting on his 2nd chance at love...  
> A sense of belonging finally settles in. As his heart awakens, his mind becomes clearer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been fighting with actually writing notes in here, but I'm so happy to see my story is getting through to many of you... I'm sorry if it gets rambling sometimes. I guess both me and Keith have issues with feelings and opening up!  
> Every single Kudo and Commentary lifts me up like you guys wouldn't know! So, thank you to all the ones who've been keeping up with Talking Is Hard!  
> I'll try to pry myself from the claws of procrastination to update more often.

<https://open.spotify.com/track/6B4OR1UtzO6SBr37AuXs4c?si=mDKxnn6OTV-Yqv0D4_OL0A>

 

 

**Grumpy Samurai:**

What do you think about going out with me tomorrow?

**TheRealSharpshooter:**

Hmmm…

No.

**Grumpy Samurai:**

No? Like, for real?

Why?

**TheRealSharpshooter:**

“I’ll take 500 for ‘things you don’t ask by sms, Thank you!’”

**Grumpy Samurai:**

……….

Oh.

 

Lance couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the screen. Not that Keith had ever been the best on social cues, but man! Those last years in space with the Blades had done even worse!

He was supposed to be wooing him, or whatever, but _this_  was not a good start…

… Or maybe he would grant him a second chance, Lance thought, smirking as his phone rang and Keith’s photo came to life on his screen. The sound of _Honey Whiskey_ paired with a rare image of Keith smiling widely, taken many years ago, after their arrival at the Garrison almost distracted Lance from the fact _he had_ to pick up the call!

“So, you wanna give that one another try?” He chimed, not even bothering to hide the amusement from his voice.

“Sorry. You were right, of course…” Keith mumbled. “Asking you out--”

“Trying…” Lance interrupted with a chuckle.

“Yes. Thank You… Lance.” Keith groaned. “ _Trying_ to ask you out by message was not the right move. But I do want to go out with you! Like on a date…?”

And there it was…

That bubbly feeling in his chest, the rush in his heartbeat, in time with Keith’s hopeful/questioning intoned request.

Only a fool would believe his answer to be anything but ‘Yes’!

That didn’t mean he would give Keith the satisfaction of falling to his knees because he was an asshole who had never, in any moment, stopped loving that gorgeous Grumpy Cat!

“Let me think about it…” He answered, making a nice sound that was somewhere between a moan and a chuckle.

“Laaaaance…”

Lance bit his lip to prevent from outright laughing at Keith’s whine. Couldn't have him being too sure of himself and cocky!

“Alright. Say I’ll go out with you tomorrow… Did you actually have anything planned, or you just went ‘Oh, shit!’ because you just woke up and decided ‘Why the hell not?’ and texted me out of the blue?”

“I had a plan!” Keith scoffed.

“Which was?”

“Uh… Letting you choose? Since, you know, you’re bound to know a better place to take the kids and all that!?” Keith said.

“Oh, ok!” Lance smiled. And then it clicked! “Wait- The kids?”

Lance could swear he’d heard Keith hissing, like he feared he’d just blundered the whole thing.

“Well, yeah… you know… I didn’t want the kids to think this absolute stranger came out of nowhere to ruin their school vacation with their dad, and… well… I don’t want them to feel left out.”

“Ah.” Lance whispered. The bubbly feeling was quickly becoming something a bit more warm. More tender. Of course Keith would think of the kids. Of course he would be the kind to _worry_ …

How many times had he been thrown around, cast aside, not being given more value than the social services monthly check?

How many times had he been left out by foster parents who couldn’t deal with actually caring for a child?

Until Shiro received him into his family with arms wide open, until Keith finally found a home and a family with Shiro and Adam, how many times had he felt like no one cared?

Probably too many…

“Alright, Keith. Let me check with the kids. I’ll call you later to tell you where we’re going and what time. Oh, and Keith?”

“Yes?” Keith’s elated voice answered him.

“Don’t let the kids boss you around.” Lance warned him. “They’ll woo you with smiles and perfectly aimed adoration, and before you know it they’ll have you wrapped around their little fingers…” He smirked.

“Excuse you!” Keith sounded offended by that assumption. “I’m a fully functioning adult! I stood my ground against the Galra, and _you_ assume I’ll buckle because of little kids?”

“Wanna put your money where your mouth is, Oh Mighty Warrior?”

“Why not? 50 buck says I won’t cave in to your kids!”

“Oh, It’s on!” Lance laughed. “By the way… Are you bringing Kosmo?”

“Depends on where you’re planning to go. Why?”

“Because I’m bringing Dante.”

“Kosmo can behave!” Keith complained.

“Hmm…”

“Don’t worry about your miniature doggo, Lance.”

“Dante is not a miniature dog, _Keith_ …” Lance scoffed, throwing a glance at the sleeping beagle, comfortably nested on Sofia’s old toddler sofa. He was _not_ that tiny!

“Compared to Kosmo?” Keith chuckled. “Yeah… He is!”

“He’s the size of a Direwolf! Of course Dante is a miniature by comparison! Don’t insult my dog…”

“I wasn’t insulting Dante… You were the one worried about me bringing Kosmo, remember? I know he’s huge, but you know he’s harmless!”

“Unless you’re the enemy.”

“Unless you’re that…” Keith conceded.

“Ok, bring Kosmo.” Lance chuckled. “And the money… for the bet!”

“You bring the money! I’ll have everything under control…”

 

****

 

Keith did not in fact have everything under control…

The kids were lovely!

All smiles…

All apparently at his beck and call…

until Keith caught himself giving a pleading look at Lance, who in no circumstance was agreeing with Keith allowing the kids riding on Kosmo’s back throughout Josone Park!

Yep…

Keith was currently 100% wrapped around the fingers of Sofia, Laura and Miguel McClain!

He was also 50 UCC’s short…

But, damn it if it hadn’t been all worth it! Sure, he would have to learn to stand up to the kids… eventually… but they were _awesome_!  

Miguel was sensitive and inquisitive, always eager to learn new things. He’d questioned him about pretty much everything, listening in awe.

Laura was the silent one. It looked to Keith like she was always analyzing her surroundings. Her economy of words was, nonetheless, compensated by enormous energy levels and an instant connection with Kosmo, who promptly followed the little girl around like it was his mission in life!

Sofia? Well… She gave him a weird feeling like a wave of nostalgia hitting…

She reminded him of himself. Of how he was as a child.

Sofia was what he could have been, if he’d found a loving family early on his foster care years. If he had found someone as obviously caring, dedicated and loving towards his children like Lance was… eye rolling, foot tapping and arm crossing Dad Lance!

Like he needed another reason to love that man!

Three years ago, when he’d found out about Lance adopting then 5 year old Sofia, something had tugged at his heart. A deep seated feeling borne from the fact the one he loved had become an adoptive father, giving a home, a bright future to an otherwise lost-in-the-system child, had shook him to his core. And the lie he’d told himself, about no longer harbouring feelings for Lance, eroded like sand… like one of those beautiful waves from sea at Varadero had crashed against him. That sea that had its home on Lance’s mesmerizing eyes!

And now he was here.

Whatever forces ruled the universe, be it his father’s God, or the Lion Goddess that he saw so many times on Allura’s face, they had seen it fit to give Keith a second chance at becoming part of Lance’s life.

He was gonna do all in his power to make sure he was worthy of that chance!

He wasn’t going anywhere anymore…

No matter what, from this day on, Home was gonna be Lance…

… and those extraordinary kids!    

 


	8. Timebomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Date - part 2.  
> With a bonus Keith as be wishing for, for a very long time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was a productive weekend!  
> I woke up just knowing I had to write... I hope you love this as much as I do!

<https://youtu.be/H3BCMPZjTFQ> 

 

“Tell me you did not name your dog after your favourite Italian restaurant in Cuba…” Keith laughed as they entered the restaurant and the kids bolted for a table with a view to the lake.

“I did _not_ name my dog after the restaurant, Keith!” Lance side-eyed him, turning to see Kosmo and Dante outside on the patio. The beagle seemed quite content in having the massive space wolf as his designated guardian, prancing around Kosmo happily.

“I named him after a book character!” Lance informed Keith, taking a seat. “It was a very good book…”

“If you say so.” Keith smiled. “Italian food…” He snorted.

“Anything wrong with Italian food?” Lance asked.

“Oh, nothing…” Keith picked up the menu, ignoring the sound of the kids sniggering at him. “I just thought we'd actually go Cuban.”

“If you want good Cuban food, you'll have to go to my parents home and let my mamá feed you! I'm sure she'd be delighted.”

“Is that an invitation?”

_Oh…_

Lance could kick himself!

This first official date was going so well, he was starting to get carried away!

He was going too fast.

Again…

“Easy there, Samurai…” He trained his voice to sound natural, like his mind wasn't going at light speed. “That was not an invitation... _yet_ … it was simple facts statement. We're a long way from Meet The Parents!”

Keith snorted, flashing a lopsided grin. “I already know your parents, Lance.”

“That's beside the point. You know exactly what I meant!” Lance raised an eyebrow, turning to his kids giggling at the grown-ups’ interactions. “You done choosing, or…?”

“I want pizza!” Miguel said. “with mushrooms and extra cheese.”

“Pizza…” Lance looked at his son. “You had pizza the last time we were here.”

“Aaaaand I want pizza again!” The boy gave Lance his sweetest smile.

“Fine. Pizza it is!” He flicked Miguel’s nose…

… And Keith's mind wandered, as he witnessed transfixed the domesticity playing out in front of him.

The obvious adoration Lance and the children shared; the care he put in almost every gesture towards them; the inside jokes they shared…

A family.

A happy family.

And then he understood…

This was why Lance wanted him to prove his love for him. Not for some sense of vanity nor any kind of punishment for his wrong choice five years ago.

Lance wanted him to be aware of what he was walking into, of what he would be a part of, if he truly wanted…

Lance's family!

He, the ever lonely Keith Kogane, would become a part of Lance's family!

It should scare him. People kept leaving, either by choice or ripped away from his life. He _should_ be scared…

But he wasn't! He felt… at peace, even somewhat excited about such a possibility. He felt his smile widening and he welcomed that warm feeling in his chest.

He turned his attention to the food being set in front of him, and the lively chatter between the McClain kids.

It was a good place to be…

  
  


*****

  


“So, how's things with, uh, what's his name?”

“Uh?” Keith blinked his eyes, sitting comfortably on the passenger's side of Lance's van. He'd fell into a slumbering state, tired of the long date day with the kids.

“That BOM guy your mother was kind of dating when you guys left?” Lance chuckled.

“Tareys?” Keith yawned, rolling his shoulders to shake off the stiffness.

“Yeah that's it!”

“It's not going… anymore…” He grimaced. He'd liked the guy and had even surreptitiously implied he might have been ok with him becoming his stepdad, or whatever his mother wanted to call it.

Lance frowned “Why? I thought your mom liked him!”

“I don't know…” Keith sighed. “Sometimes I think she's sabotaging her own love life on purpose.”

“That can't be good!”

“I guess it runs in the family.” Keith lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Lance's face, as he admitted this more to himself than he was admitting it to the other man. He really had been sabotaging his love life too...

“Acxa would disagree with that.” Lance snorted.

“Yeah, but she takes after her father, apparently…”

Both men giggled, not wanting to wake up the kids, completely passed out on the backseat, Dante safely buckled in too.

“He snores?”

Lance nodded “Yup. Dante snores…” He changed radio stations into a classic one that played the songs he loved from the early 2000s. He smiled as the happy tunes of _Timebomb_ quietly filled the car. “You seemed to be on better terms with your mom, the last time I saw you both. I guess you did forgive her, uh?” Lance ventured going into that subject, hoping Keith was feeling as open-hearted as he seemed. The way he sucked in a breath, but promptly released it, his whole demeanour relaxing, told him that he might be in the mood to actually _share!_

“It's not as much _completely_ forgiving, rather than accepting facts for what they are and moving on, you know?” Keith said matter of factly.

Lance nodded.

“Yeah, I think I can understand that.”

“I think…” Keith continued. He'd always trusted Lance with everything else, including his life. It was time to start trusting him with his feelings and thoughts. “...I kept judging my mother's actions based on our own human ways, you know? How we are attached to our families, how we're raised, how we just...are! And I forgot I knew zero about Galra culture and how it must have been, being born and raised within the Marmora ranks… things that, to me, sounded cold and detached, were, in many ways, the logical things to do in their view.” He shrugged. “Am I happy with my mother never once in eighteen years thinking about coming for us? For me? No. Am I happy with the fact she kept hidden the fact Acxa was my sister? No. But over these five years I've seen things from their point of view, and for them it's acceptable and logical to let go of a child, if it means said child won't be thrown into a war--”

“That worked out perfectly!” Lance rolled his eyes.

“Lance!”Keith glared.

“Sorry. Continue.”

“As I was saying…” Keith waved for emphasis. “My mother saw as acceptable to send Acxa into Marmora training to give her a chance on this war. I might not like any of it, because I see it from Earthling standards, but I have to accept the Galra culture is tenths of thousands years old! They won't change overnight just to make it easier on me.”

Lance's eyebrows rose, and he took a finger to playfully poke Keith's cheek, which just made his glare intensify.

“Who are you and what have you done with Keith?”

Keith swatted Lance's hand away, sticking his tongue out.

“People can change, you know? It's called learning. You know… personal growth!” He said, a cocky smile brightening his face.

“I'm so proud of you!” Lance crooned, mockingly taking his hand to his chest.

“Stop that…” Keith tried sounding stern, but he couldn't help the grin spreading. One that mirrored Lance's...

“Nope.”

“Lance…” Keith whispered.

“Keith…” Lance whispered back.

“ _Fuck you_ ” He mouthed, not putting sound to the words lest the kids would decide to wake up at the wrong moment.

Lance leaned slightly until he was close to Keith's ear. “You wish…” He was rewarded by Keith blushing visibly and biting his lip.

He couldn't help to feel satisfied by getting such a reaction from the otherwise stoic Keith.

These were going to be some interesting two months!

If he was reading it right, it could be even more!

It could be a lifetime…

“We're here.” Lance announced as he pulled into the driveway. “Help me with the kids, will you?”

He didn't need to repeat his request, for Keith was already closing his door and reaching for Laura, who sleepily threw her arms around his neck. He cradled her gently, closing the door and following Lance who carried Sofia and Miguel in each arm, with Dante walking beside him.

“Aren't they too heavy?” He asked.

“Yes…” Lance replied. “Sweetie…?” He turned to Sofia as he reached the front door. “Mija? Papi needs to put you down and open the door, okay?”

“Oookaay…” The little girl slurred, getting to her feet, clutching to her father's jeans.

“You need help getting them in bed?” Keith shyly asked.

“If you don't mind.”

“No. No, it's ok!”

They took the kids up, and tucked them cozily to bed.

It was comfortably domestic and, suddenly, Keith felt saddened by having to leave, though he knew staying was out of the question. It would be overstepping, rushing things and most likely ruining them.

So, he allowed Lance to walk him to the door and felt contented with saying their goodbyes -- No… not _goodbye_ … never again! -- and reminding himself that he had more days, more opportunities to spend time with Lance.

“I really liked this, you know?” He told him, gazing upon the reflection of the hall's dim, golden light.

“Me too…” Lance whispered. And both stood silently, like trying to capture the moment, to savour it, to memorize each little detail.

Keith sucked in a breath, taking in the wooden, spicy scent of Lance's cologne. His gaze fell upon Lance's perfectly shaped lips.

He wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by those lips, to be held by those strong arms, to feel his warmth, to be so close he could feel Lance's heartbeat against his…

“Please, kiss me…”

_Oh, fuck!_

“What…?”

_Fuck, fuck, fuck…_

“I, uh…” He felt like hitting his head against the wall! “Fuck… I'm sorry…” He groaned.

Lance chuckled at Keith's embarrassment. An embarrassed Keith was quite the rare vision…

Always so sure of himself, sometimes to the point he became annoying!

“I rushed things…”Keith sighed. “I'm sorry…”

“Thankfully for you, I'm in a _charitable_ mood!”

That seemed to perk Keith right up! “Charitable? Listen, sweetheart, I don't need your char--”

“Oh, shut up!” Lance whispered, closing the distance between them.

Before Keith could say another word, Lance's lips -- those _wonderful_ lips! -- were brushing his. Tentatively at first, kind, soft, like waiting for something… so, Keith reciprocated the kissing, pressing his mouth harder, wrapping his arms around Lance's waist and losing himself in that first, glorious kiss…

It seemed to last an eternity, and yet as their lips separated and Lance's nose lightly brushed his, it felt like it wasn't enough.

Somehow, it would never be enough, no matter how many more kisses, how much time they had in front of them, Keith would always want more, always crave more…

He never knew he could feel like this! Feel _so much_! His feelings for Lance now carried also a hunger for him that would only be filled in his arms…

So, this was how unbridled desire felt!

“I… I should go…”

“Yeah…”

“Listen, I… uh… I have to pick up my brothers at the airport tomorrow, but… can I call you? Later on? I wanna do this again, ok?”

Lance rose his hand to brush away a lock of black hair that had come loose from Keith's ponytail. His gesture was almost reverent. “I wanna do this again too…” He smiled. “And also go on another date with you.”

“What…? Oh!” Keith leaned into Lance's chest, hiding his face and chuckling. “That was not what I was talking about…” He mumbled. “But I'd like that too.” Keith lifted his head, locking eyes with an amused Lance.

“Good luck with your brothers, tomorrow!”

“Ugh… Thanks…”

“You love them…” Lance chuckled.

Keith simply shrugged. “What can I say… they're family!”

“Hmmm.” Lance nodded,leaning on the doorframe, watching as Keith walked towards his own car…

Something about Keith always reminded him of songs, like his brain needed to fill the scenes with random tunes!

_I hate to watch you leave, but love to watch you walk away…_

It was a nice sentence, and it fully applied to how it felt to watch Keith walk to his car, his confident stride, the way his leather jacket suited him perfectly, his _blessed tight jeans_ and the way he looked so beautiful with his hair tied in a ponytail…

And now he also had the memory of the taste and feel of Keith's lips!

“Don't forget to call me!”

Keith smiled brightly, illuminated by the silvery glow of the street lamp. His purple eyes seemed to sparkle.

“I will.” He said, before getting into his car and driving away, leaving Lance behind as he watched on until he couldn't see nor hear the rumble of the car's engine.

Only then did he go inside.

He was certain tonights dreams would be sweeter than ever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not mentioned but, Kosmo is too big to ride on Keith's car, so he just teleports around Varadero...


	9. You Are Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gang is (starting) to come together!  
> Pidge just wants info.  
> Hunk just wants Lance to be happy.  
> Lance just wants to go on more dates, tbh...  
> Keith?  
> He just wants peace and quiet...  
> And Lance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You're not alone" is a line from the song "Portugal" from Walk The Moon!
> 
> I sure hope I can keep going like this because I feel hella bad when I start procrastinating...

 <https://youtu.be/vpB3mzeuVtg>

 

**TechGremlin**

LANCE ESTEBAN!

WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME YOU HAD A DATE WITH KEITH?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Does no one uses manners anymore?

Because…

Good morning to you too…?

And besides.

It was yesterday?

The question is:

HOW DO YOU KNOW???

**TechGremlin**

I plead the 5th…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Hold on a sec…

HUNK! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Good morning to you too…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Good morning Hunk!

Did you tell Pidge about yesterday?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Was it supposed to be a secret?

Because I don't remember you specifying that!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

No.

It wasn't a secret…

………

My bad.

But still…

Why is our resident Gremlin dramatizing ?

**TechGremlin**

I'm offended!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

That's rough, buddy…

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

N

E

WAYS!

How did it go…?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

It was nice…

**TechGremlin**

Just “nice”?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Weeeeeeell…….

(•‾⌣‾•)

**TechGremlin**

Just spill it, Lance!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

You don't deserve details, Gremlin…

**TechGremlin**

JFC LANCE!

It's been years!!!

I know I was an immature brat!

I said I was sorry!

FOR 5 YEARS!

I flew to Cuba on purpose…

To babysit the kids…

Many times...

Because I was sorry!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Pidge…

You know he's messing with you?

Lance…

Dude…

Come on…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Fine…

You take the fun out of everything…

Pidge…

Pidgey…

Pidgeotto…

I was messing with you.

You know that.

Right?

……..?

**TechGremlin**

You're an asshole sometimes.

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Fair enough.

**TechGremlin**

So…

Story Time…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Story Time:

Keith texted me.

He asked me out…

...by text…

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Oh, man…

**TechGremlin**

That's Keith in a nutshell!

What did you say?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

I gather he said yes, anyway…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Ahahahah…

That's where you're wrong!

I said No!

**TechGremlin**

SHUT UP!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

I did!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

And…?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

And he called.

We talked.

And THEN I said yes!

And we took the kids too!

Went to Josone Park.

Had a blast!

The kids totally owned him!

Laura and Dante pretty much got “adopted” by Kosmo…

He helped me carry the kids to bed at night…

**TechGremlin**

Excuse…?

At night…?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Tell me you didn't jump the gun…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Wow!

Rude…

Uh, no…?

I behaved…?

**TechGremlin**

Hmmmmmmm...

Not thirsty enough…?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

I feel personally attacked!

Hunk!!!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Please keep the gc PG, ok?

Pidge?

**TechGremlin**

Spoilsports.

Both of you!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

ANYWAYS!!!

It was nice…

And when I say nice…

I mean really good!

We talked, like A LOT!

ABOUT FEELINGS AND SHIT!?

Loads of stuff we should have spoken of years ago.

So, yeah…

It's looking pretty good!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

I'm happy for you buddy!

Are you gonna see him today too?

**TechGremlin**

Oh, you don't know?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

What did I miss?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

(ー_ー)!!

Didn't you notice the absence of four particular dudes on the Garrison?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

You're joking?

Shiro

Adam

Kuron

AND

Curtis???

They all travelled to Cuba?

Poor Keith…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

I'm trying to decide if being able to surf with Curtis and Adam, compensates the fact that Shiro and Kuron are gonna give us a hard time…

**TechGremlin**

Could be worse…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

How?

**TechGremlin**

Both of you, knuckleheads could still be in denial…

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

She's got a point!

**TechGremlin**

I'll give it a week, tops, until you guys finally kiss…

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Ooof…

Don't forget they're stubborn and competitive.

They'll drag this for at least two weeks!

**TechGremlin**

You forget Lance is about to snap!

5 years and now Keith's just dropped the L word? It's happening sooner…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**TechGremlin**

Lance….?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Yes, Pidgeotto?

**TechGremlin**

That's like...the third emoji already…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

And?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Oh…

Someone is happy!

Like, REALLY happy!

Hmmm…

**TechGremlin**

Just how good was the date?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Good!

Really, _really_ good!

**TechGremlin**

Hunk?

The bet is off!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

YOU DID NOT!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

I SURE DID!!!

**TechGremlin**

OH MY GOD!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Spill?!?

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Hmm. No?!?

Yes, I kissed Keith.

No, you're not getting details…

**TechGremlin**

I'm calling Keith.

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Good luck with that one…

**TechGremlin**

Spoilsport!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

😋

Got to go.

The kids are up and demanding pancakes…

**TechGremlin**

This isn't over, McClain!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Bring it on, Gremlin…

...if you can reach me!

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Low, Lance…

Low…

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Like Pidge!

**TechGremlin**

Remember the “Bonding Moment” drama?

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Pidge…

**TechGremlin**

Lemme text Keith and see if he still does…

...unlike someone who's conveniently forgot about it…

**ActualCinnamonRoll**

Aaaaaaand I'm leaving!

**TheRealSharpshooter**

Pidge!

Don't you dare!

Pidge?

Don't ignore me…

Pidge, I swear!!!

Goddamit!

 

******

 

The airport was bustling with life, even at such an early hour of the day. Families, pilots and crew members, airport workers all crossing paths with a sense of purpose…

Just an ordinary day, Keith guessed!

When he was a kid, back when his father was still alive, he'd take him to the airport in El Paso and he'd love it there, not just for the massive airplanes but, at the time, he enjoyed watching all of those different people go by, and he'd even entertain himself imagining stories for those people: who they were, why they were there and where and why they were traveling.

Not much was different, he guessed!

The big difference was that now, there were also people from other parts of _the universe_ , not just the world…

Also, today Keith hadn't come to this airport in Matanzas just for the fun of it.

Today, he was meeting his brothers and their respective spouses.

Because they couldn't wait to find an excuse to fly to Cuba, hit the beaches, forget about the Garrison for a while… and meddle.

Like he needed that!

He was doing just fine, thanks!

Well, he might be doing somewhat better than fine. If he concentrated hard enough, if he daydreamed long enough, he could even feel his mouth tingle with the memory of Lance's warm lips moving against his. He could still recall Lance's hands pulling him closer, holding him tight…

Yeah, he was doing great!

“KEITH!”

And here they were…

Just in time to drag him away from what was definitely his favourite memory.

For now.

He waved at the four men exiting the arrivals’ gate. “Hey, guys. How was the flight?”

Shiro shrugged, pulling Adam closer.

“Eh…”

“To dull for a guy that used to fly a giant robot lion, uh?” Keith joked. “And did you guys actually brought the surfboards?” He asked, looking for them but not seeing anything.

Curtis stepped forward, hugging Keith before leaving space for Kuron to do the same.

“Nah, man!” He chuckled. “Too much stuff to carry around. We'll rent some at the resort where Mrs McClain works.”

“ You're staying there?” Keith asked. Great! With all the hotels, villas and resorts around, they _obviously_ chose the one where they would be in close contact with Lance's mom! Or maybe he was just reading too much into it. After all, he knew Rosa McClain would love to have them all close by.

It didn't mean those four were going to take advantage of that fact to _help matters_ , or whatever they were actually planning to do…

“What I want to know is how the date went!” Shiro threw an arm over Keith's shoulder, ignoring his glare and Adam pinching him on his sides.

“Babe, we just got here. Can we please get to the resort, change and eat something else besides peanuts, and then you can interrogate Keith?”

“Oh, gee, thanks Adam.” Keith rolled his eyes escaping Shiro's arm and sticking his tongue out, like goddamn mature people do!

Adam straightened his glasses, clearly amused. “You're quite welcome.”

They left the airport dragging their bags with them. Outside the air was already warm and the humidity made Keith glad he'd left his leather jacket back at hotel room. He signalled them at the car parked outside.

“I don't know how all of your bags will fit, but…” He scratched his head. Maybe renting a car that small had been a dumb idea.

Kuron slapped his shoulder. “Don't worry kid. We took care of transportations for us. We got rentals to. One for each couple.” He informed him. “Much more practical like that.”

Shiro whistled, looking at the black car on the parking lot. “Can't believe you rented an actual car!” He said. “I'm amazed your not cruising through Varadero on a Bike.”

“I think you're missing the point, Shiro!” Curtis crossed his arms with a mischievous smile on his lips. “He's trying to impress Lance, now!”

Keith groaned. Not even ten minutes in and they were already starting…

“What's wrong with a good hoverbike? Or even one of those classic motorbikes of old?” Shiro questioned his brother-in-law.

“Just to impress Lance? Nothing. But-” And he tilted his head. “He's got to appeal to his Dad side too! A car is much safer for kids…”

The other three nodded while Keith was now huffing and facepalming.

“Seriously?” He whined. “I think I'm gonna pretend I don't know any of you…”

“Good luck with that.” Adam shrugged, pointing at Shiro and Kuron. “Because that always works soooo well with the Chaotic Twins!”

“HEY!” Said twins complained.

“You've got a point there!” Keith conceded. “Can we go now? Let's go get your rental and get out of here… I'm kinda ready for a second breakfast, by now!”

“Extenuating activities last night?” Shiro questioned, raising his eyebrows.

Keith turned to him squinting. “No! The fuck?”

Shiro shrugged, ignoring his brother's offended look, while the rest snickered.

“This is going to be a long week…” Keith mumbled.

“Oh, we didn't tell you?”Adam passed by him with a grin. “We had overdue vacation days. We're staying until the wedding.”

Keith stood there taking in that piece of information, while he watched the four of them walking towards the car rental office.

Two months…

Two whole months…

All of them, in Cuba, while he was trying to mend his past mistakes and build a future with Lance…

He was stuck between “ _Yeah, almost like old times!”_ and _“Can I please have some peace, quiet and actual private time with Lance, please and thank you?”_

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose trying to imagine what could happen next to create even more of a mess…

 

****

 

**TechGremlin**

Ask your mom if she's got vacant rooms on the resort.

Me, Matt, Hunk and Shay are going to Varadero next week.

Text me back after you read this.

Send tons of hugs to all of your family will you?

I'll call you tomorrow.

  
  
  
  
  



	10. Fixin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They all head out to the beach. The McClains and the Whole Voltron gang, minus Pidge, Hink and Shay, for now.  
> Keith takes the most important step in actually understanding the complexity of his feelings, past and present. He faces his fears and he's finally ready to accept the future. No worries, no overthinking things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so in love with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, that I had to shamelessly include it in this chapter.  
> When is this going to be over? I have no idea, but I know I can't drag it out for too long, or else procrastination will take hold of me.  
> Once again, I hope all of you are enjoying this story.  
> Any comments, no matter how small, will be thoroughly appreciated!  
> Kudos to all of you!

<https://youtu.be/UqWvrzGvjnk>

 

“I guess if this was a sitcom, this would be the beach episode.” Rachel told Keith, nonchalant as always.

He liked Rachel.

Even when she didn’t like him back …

She was the quiet type. Headstrong, determined, independent, took zero bullshit from everyone… and she loved Lance fiercely!

Maybe that was why he liked her so much! Because, when he’d chosen to stay away believing to be the best for Lance, he knew she would always be there. Loving Lance when he didn’t dare. Picking him up if things went wrong.

He loved the people that loved Lance…

Like there was an invisible thread connecting them solely for this shared love for this one person!

“I’m not so sure this is a sitcom!”

“A romcom, then!”

“That’s cheesy!” Keith laughed, turning another page of the book Lance had borrowed him. The book where he’d gotten his dog’s name.

It was a good book.

It had many elements that called out to him.

“So, which one are you?” Rachel pointed at the book.

“It’s complicated…” He huffed.

“I think you’re Ari!” She told him, and there was nothing mocking about it. She meant it.

“In a sense.” Keith agreed. “But only on some parts.”

“Only some.”

“You read it.” It wasn’t a question.

“All of his books.” Rachel nodded.

“I guess that would make Lance to be Dante.”

“With many differences…”

“With lots of them…”

Lance was Dante, in essence, except he was the one with a big family and he hadn’t been one to realise they’d rather kiss boys. Keith had. And Keith had been the only child for a long time.

And he had a problem with words.

Lance didn’t.

There was much of Ari in Keith, just like there much of Dante in Lance. But the other way around was also true.

“Still, it’s weird to give your dog the name of your favourite character in a book!”

Rachel chuckled, burying her toes in the soft sand. “That’s Lance for you. When he likes something, he has to find a way to include it in his reality.” She winked at him and Keith had the feeling this was no longer about literature, or characters in a story.

“Are you asking me if I want to be a part of his reality?” Keith asked.

“Assuming he likes you!”

“I’d like to assume better than just ‘like’...”

“So?”

“Yes, I do.”

“With all it includes?”

Meaning the huge Hernandez-McClain clan.

Meaning a life in Cuba.

Meaning Lance’s kids.

Meaning a completely different path in life than the one he’d envisioned for him.

A better one.

The answer was easy…

“With all of it, Rachel…” He smiled. “With all of it!”

“You’re a cool guy, Keith.”

And that was the end of it. Rachel got up, heading for the water where the kids paid attention to Lance as he explained the younger ones how to enter the water with the surfboard and how to stand on it.

He thought about Lance surfing.

Maybe he could ask him if he’d teach him too.

Yeah, he’d like that!

Keith’s gaze wandered through all of the people in their group…

Adam and Curtis ripping through the waves on their boards. Kuron and Shiro helping the kids take their boards into the water. Lance carrying Veronica like a potato sack, just for the fun of it while their mom, Rosa, yelled at them to behave like the grown-ups they were. Acxa braiding lazily Nadia’s hair, trying to distract the girl from the fact that you can’t go surfing while healing a twisted ankle. Luis, Lisa and Marco playing a card game, and Lance's dad, Alejandro, snoring on the towel with a straw hat covering his face…

It was warmingly domestic. A huge group of people, not all them related to each other, coming together and being at ease with each other.

Like a family.

A really, _really_ big family!

And he was part of it!

He looked at the book before storing it in his backpack…

**_Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe_ **

Both Him and Lance had been to the depths of the Universe and hadn’t been able to unravel all of its secrets!

But maybe the Universe whose secrets they needed to discover wasn’t the cold one their own world floated on…

Maybe that Universe, those secrets they needed to discover were the one hidden inside themselves, inside their hearts…

A whole glorious Universe on a white sand beach on Varadero.

A Universe full of wonders waiting for him, on the other side of a blue wooden door, on a house with life, laughter, happiness… with a future.

Life was good.

And it was about time he broke through the walls he’d built that long ago. It was about time he’d actually _lived_!

He could start with this… joining the others. Jumping into the water. Being a part of it all, instead of a spectator…

“Welcome, handsome!” Lance’s voice whispered close to his ear. He turned to face him in all his resplandecente self. Wide smile, wet curls, water dripping throughout his body, freckles on his face, on his shoulders. Keith had a sudden urge to count them…

Had Lance always had freckles? That was a stupid question! Of course he had to had them already! Maybe all their time in space had somewhat washed them out. Maybe Lance had been self-conscious about them and covered them.

Before he realized what he was doing, he lifted his hand to brush his fingertips on Lance’s cheeks, through the freckles that kept him captivated.

He looked so beautiful like this.

His skin glistened and the usual wood and spice scent that emanated from Lance’s skin, now mingled with the smell of the sea.

Lance belonged here. He was truly a child of the ocean.

“Keith?” Lance asked, a questioning look on his eyes.

“Yes?” He answered, staring right into those blue eyes.

“You do realize you that all of those ramblings came right out of your mouth, right?” Lance whispered, brushing his fingers through a lock of Keith’s hair coming loose from the ponytail. “You’ve been doing that a lot, lately…”

Well…

That was… perfect…

Now, Lance affected him so much that he just rambled out loud, like he had no filter!

That was sure to impress the hell out of Lance!

“Sorry…”

“Don’t be.” Lance smiled. “I kind of enjoy the fact that your subconscient just decided to bypass your natural defenses and started taking over.”

“It’s embarrassing!” Keith groaned. “I sound like a lunatic!”

“No, you don’t. But I’m just taking that as a kind of compliment.” Lance held Keith’s hands, pulling him further into the water.

Keith rose an eyebrow.

“How does my rambling translate into a compliment?”

“I’m so fucking irresistible,” Lance whispered so only Keith would hear him. “that you can’t help to make a fool of yourself…” He winked.

“I’m not--” Keith pressed his lips, squinting at Lance. “You’re just making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“Yup!”

“I hate you…”

“The hell you do!” Lance’s smile became smug. Before Keith noticed, Lance picked him up on his arms, promptly throwing him into the water, laughing as Keith yelped as he crashed into the incoming wave.

Lance dove after him, before the other man resurfaced, appearing behind him and wrapping his arms around Keith’s waist like they’d done this a thousand times before. Like this new familiarity, this new intimacy between them was anything but new!

Not even the others reacted as if this wasn’t a normal thing between them. They took in stride as if Lance and Keith had been together for years and not on the tentative first days of their relationship!

It felt awesome, if Keith was being honest with himself.

Years ago this would have felt way too much! It would have been overbearing, suffocating and probably would have sent Keith running…

Hell! He’d done just that, five years ago!

Sure… not wanting to come between Lance and Allura, because he was _so_ convinced that was a thing, had been the driving force behind his decision. But he’d also been afraid of feeling trapped, being anchored in a world that didn’t call to him, at the time.

He’d been afraid of commitment. Of setting roots. He’d been afraid of losing himself in the feelings he carried for Lance.

To put it simply, he’d been scared senseless!

It had not been the right time for it…

“I guess I just needed to miss you.” He told Lance, floating on the waves, keeping himself as close to Lance as possible.

“What do you mean?”

“Back when I first left for the Blades, I still had plenty of contact with you. You were just _there!_ But when I left, five years ago, suddenly your absence was real, Too real. Too painful.” He admitted. “My feelings for your scared me. Sent me running away… But when I did, matters were worse. Because I missed you. So much! I kept thinking it would die down, it would wither, but it never did. The distance, the absence, made my feelings painfully clear. I needed to miss you, to be absolutely sure it wasn’t an inconsequential crush, a teenage fling. I needed to miss to you to be certain I loved you… And I do! I do, Lance! I know you need time to decide what you want from me, if you trust me to stay. I know when you decide something, there’s no changing your mind. So, I won’t beg you to tell me you love me. I won’t press you for it.” Keith swam closer, throwing his arms around Lance’s shoulders. “I’ll wait the rest of the weeks until Veronica and Acxa’s wedding! I’ll wait for as long as you want me too, because I want to stay with you. I want to stay with your kids. I want all of it Lance! I’m not scared anymore. I’ve never been more sure of what I want, and I’ll prove it to you, my love! I’m not going anywhere, unless you want me too!” He held onto Lance, his heart beating fast.

Could Lance hear it too? He’d never felt more vulnerable before… He’d never been less afraid to show his vulnerability to Lance…

“I don’t want you to!” Lance’s voice was ragged as he whispered into Keith’s ear. “I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay.” He chuckled nervously. “So do the kids. They love you, you know?”

“I love them too… They’re great kids. You’re an amazing dad! And that makes me love you even more!”

Their foreheads were pressed against each other, blue eyes locked with purple ones. Their feelings bare, no words truly needed. Lips met on a tender kiss, devoid of rush.

Keith would later on recall the taste of salt on Lance’s mouth, the way their body’s swayed on waves, the mix between fake indignation, laughter and applause as they were reminded of the fact they were not alone on this beach, the way they’d been mercilessly teased by the rest of them for the remaining of the day...But he would also recall other things, since the day of their first date.

Small things really…

The way he was being integrated into Lance’s daily routine, the building of an easy interaction with the kids…

Lance had been by his side as he, almost unknowingly, became a part of the family!

The realisation of it all gave Keith the feeling he'd been waiting to exhale for a lifetime… there was a clear path in front of him and for the first time he wasn't afraid.

He'd read once that love should not make you feel nervous, nor make your heart race like crazy. True Love was supposed to give you a sense of balance, peace and purpose. It should give you the satisfied feeling of being home! Lance gave him all that!

But also Sofia, Laura, Miguel and the whole of Lance's family! He felt at home with _all_ of them.

He was finally home…

He was even ready to take on Pidge’s _I knew it_ lecture that he was sure she had in store for him, for Hunk’s crushing hug as he told him _‘finally!’_ , and also to admit that his sister was right in forcing him to come back to Earth.

Riding on Lance’s van, heading for his parents’ home for dinner, being able to rest his head on Lance’s shoulder felt pretty close to any kind of heaven one could experience in this life...

  
  
  


  


	11. Surrender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship takes a permanent turn.  
> Keith is ready to finally, completely leaves all of his fears and insecurities behind.  
> He's ready for the voyage we all call life... and he's got the perfect partner to take it on and just Go With The Flow...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It never goes Mature, because I do not feel comfortable in writing those scenes with the boys due to my age...  
> I saw them as teenagers on S1, and not even their "Glow Up" and growing up to full adults makes it any less awkward for me.  
> I imply things, you take them upon your imagination to decide what and how it went...  
> Also, this is nearing its conclusion. I don't want to go too deep with the other characters yet, because I want to write about the other pairings later on, and I'll eventually do a time skip fic showing how Reborn!Lotor came back to the Paladins and how Rachel McClain ended up adopting him.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXZVAWOtLcs>

 

 

 

30 days…

30 memories…

30 treasures to keep forever in his mind. In his heart…

Ever since he’d finally let go of his age old fears and had abandoned himself into the natural flow of things, that he had finally began to feel like he was on the right path, for once in his life!

And now, looking back, Keith saw clearly where miscommunication and insecurity had taken the wheel, so to speak, and where he’d failed to see the signs that Lance had never truly been distant from him.

Keith had always seen Lance as someone who wasn’t meant to be with him… Hell! He believed him to be straight for _years_!

Again, miscommunication.

As always!

He wondered what would have happened if instead of just leaving for the Blades that first time, because he thought he was doing what was right and what needed to be done for Lance, he had done better than saying dumb stuff like _‘Leave the math to Pidge.”_?

What the hell had that even been? He really was the epitome of Gay Panic…

Why didn’t he just say something like _‘Listen, Lance… I don’t want you to think about stepping down. That’s not an option. The team needs you!’_ , Or… Maybe… Be bold and just downright say ‘ _I need you!’_. Even if Lance wasn’t ready for that, at least it would have been honest!

Maybe Lance was right.

Maybe things happened at their right pace. Maybe there was a right time and a wrong time. Maybe they needed to act like dumbasses who couldn’t see what was right in front of them. Maybe they needed the time and distance to find out who they truly were, outside of The Team… outside of each other… To just grow up, build their own path, their own  life without the premature pressures of having to make important choices that would undoubtedly gravitate around what the other one wanted and needed.

They needed to be independent.

Lance needed the liberty to choose to stay in Cuba, not worrying about if he was imposing said choice on anyone else.

Keith needed to go out into space, once again, find himself, get to know about his past, his family’s history, his sister’s background and why she’d made the choices she made. But mostly, he needed to actually _know_ his own mother! He needed all of those years to be stuck between loving her and hating her, between resenting her and move one step closer to forgiveness. He needed to yell, cry, build yet another wall and finally knock it down. For good.

He’d needed to make amends with his family and himself.

Having Lance with him would have eased the pain, but at what cost? Because Keith knew Lance would take on himself the weight of the hurt no else but himself was supposed to deal with.

Lance was like that…

And the funny things -- which wasn’t really that fun…-- was that people had always misunderstood his brashness, goofiness and nonchalant personality as being irresponsible and being the class-clown. None of them, not even Keith, had noticed then that Lance used that persona to hide his own insecurities and fears, but also to pull his team mates away from their own dark moods, their overworking, their over worrying… He took the eye rolling, the scoldings and sometimes being yelled at, Keith’s frustration at not understanding why he was always getting on his case and teasing him, and apparently being ignored and his opinions being straight up disregarded to the point he’d began secluding himself when not on missions.

Lance did that for all of them. How could he have demanded him to stay at his side while he went on his fury rampages? How could he have burden Lance with being his sole stability, his conscience? He couldn’t… He would have hurted Lance in the process and destroyed any chances of happiness with him.

Those five years hadn’t been for nothing.

They’d been a lesson.

They’d been the necessary path back to Lance’s life and to the last wonderful 30 days he’d had by his side!

Each and every single day had become some kind of Hallmark for Keith:

Like the first day Laura had purposely let herself fall asleep on his arms while they watched a movie during one impressive summer rainfall.

Like the first time he and Acxa went out to do trivial siblings’ stuff on a day out in Varadero, that included wedding related shopping, wedding dress last measurements, choosing a suit for Keith, which he  enjoyed a lot more than he would admit out loud to his sister -- he had this thing called pride!--, and eating mantecado ice creams as they passed by the house Veronica and Acxa had bought, just some blocks away from Lance’s beachfront home.

Like having Rachel ruffling his hair as she passed him on Lance’s garden, sporting a wide smile and telling him he was _‘’...actually cooler than I gave you credit for, Keith…’_

Like Trying really hard not to choke when, on separate occasions, Lance’s parents called him _mijo_ , as naturally as if they’d been doing it their entire lives. And just like that, Rosa McClain and Alejandro Hernandez had stepped up into the Top Ten of people that Keith would gladly give his life for!

That list was growing faster by the day! Maybe he should make it a Top Twenty, so he could include his brothers… and their husbands…

How did he go from a lonely kid in this world to suddenly have this giant-sized family?

On a good day he might even include Pidge!

That little gremlin…

The same gremlin that sat shamelessly on  the dead center of the couch his bedroom, while he fumbled for the right outfit to wear on yet another date with Lance…

“You thinking about leaving the interior of your own mind, sometime this day?” She asked him, legs crossed and looking bored out of her skull.

“It’s a nice place to be,” He side-eyed his friend. “one where you’re not bothering me.”

“Watch it Grumpy Pants…” She scoffed. “Or I might reconsider baby-sitting Kosmo for you. By the way. What exactly will prevent Kosmo from getting bored and teleporting right to your location?”

“Because I specifically told him not too?”

“Sounds fake but, ok…”

“He can behave, Pidge.” Keith rolled his eyes, picking up a red plaid shirt but putting it down after getting an unmistakable ‘Hell no!’ look from Pidge. He went for a purple button-down with black jeans instead, which seemed to gain her approval. “Now, shoo… I wanna get dressed…”

“You have nothing impressive for me to look at, Keith…” She snorted, sticking her tongue out.

“Shut up Gremlin…” Keith chuckled. He got quickly dressed and even indulged on some cologne. It was a warm evening outside, but he was taking his leather jacket, just to be on the safe side. He met Pidge on the living room of his resort apartment and they left the main building. He watched as Kosmo calmly pranced by Pidge’s side as they left for the most secluded part of the beach were they could spend some time and Kosmo could run around as much as he wanted.

In all of those 30 days, Keith had wanted to include Lance’s kids in pretty much every single activity, fearing the kids would end up resenting him for ‘stealing’ their dad’s time and attention. But then Lance had let him know they were actually entitled to alone time! No kids! Just the two of them! He’d been adamant about it and, as expected, Keith caved in and today they were going out… just them…

Dinner, movies and out dancing!

Keith and Lance! Alone! Out on the city! On a proper romantic date!

Boy was he nervous about it…

What if he did something stupid? What if he made a fool of himself?

Granted he was getting better at the whole honest communication stuff, but he was still a  bit scared of going back to the old foot-in-the-mouth habit.

“Get a hold of yourself, Kogane!” He chided himself, sitting behind the wheel on  his rental car. “You’re not thirteen anymore and this is not the Garrison… You’re a whole ass adult and you’re not scared of feelings anymore either!” He drove away, recalling the moment, so many years ago, when he’d first laid eyes on teenage Lance and he decided right there and then, that he was the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen… and proceeded to panic and run away when Lance and  Hunk tried introducing themselves. Something that apparently Lance took to heart, as the Cuban boy decided there and then that Keith was a self-centered, arrogant asshole for brushing him off like that!

Their goddamn rivalry! Completely one-sided and all because Keith’s brain came to the brilliant conclusion that, the best way to deal with cute boys, was to panic and dash the fuck outta there!

But that was a lifetime ago.

No more panicking.

He was going to start enjoying life for once! No way was he wasting his second opportunity with Lance!

As he pulled in Lance’s driveway, his previous apprehension had died down and he felt quite confident, walking right to Lance’s door and ringing the door with a renewed sense of expectation.

The vision Lance presented as he opened the door and stepped outside to meet Keith with a warm kiss, made him feel like he could actually float or whatever romantic shit nowadays was written in those cheap romances that Keith _most definitely_ didn’t read, much more owned…

Nope!

That was a secret pleasure to remain… a secret… for now…

“You look nice.” He smiled “Blue definitely is your colour!” Keith told him, appreciating the contrast the aqua-blue button up made with Lance’s deep tanned skin and white pants weren’t supposed to really look _that_ good on Lance, were they?

“Looking quite sharp yourself!” Lance allowed his finger to brush through Keith’s chest. “You look absolutely stunning in purple and black…” He hummed, taking the opportunity to steal another quick kiss, before locking the door and heading towards Keith’s car. “So…” He smiled, throwing his blouson jacket on the backseat. “where are we going?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” Keith smirked driving away.

“A surprise, uh?” Lance’s smile widened. “I definitely like this Keith-evolution thing you’ve got going on… But don’t change too much, ok? I like my Cat _Grumpy_ …”

“You’re nuts, you know that?”

“Yup! And you _loooove_ me…” Lance dragged the word, batting his lashes at Keith. “What does that say about you?”

Keith chuckled.

“That I’m beyond all hope?”

“You got that right!”

 

*******

 

A Cave…

A literal, honest to god cave…

“It’s called La Gruta, Keith… what were you expecting?” Lance snorted at Keith’s expression as they entered the age-old restaurant that, as the name announced, was situated _inside_ a natural cave

“You just researched Romantic, Dinner and Varadero, without looking at the photos didn’t you?”

“Maaaaybe…”

“You totally did!” Lance laughed.

“You don’t like it?” Keith was starting to feel that he might have made a mistake with his choice…

“Hell, yeah I do!” Lance pulled Keith into a quick kiss. “I’m getting lobster and you, Sir, are paying! I certainly don’t have a salary for lobster!”

“Why do I always end up dragging us into Josone Park?”

“Because you like it?”

“That could be it!”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t see the restaurant before and that it was inside a cave!” Lance poked him, walking to their previously reserved table. “I mean _Dante_ is right there, babe…” He pointed at the restaurant they took the kids to on their first date. His eyes fell on Keith’s now red face. “What? You don’t like me calling you ‘babe’?”

“What? No, no! I do! It’s just…”

“It’s new to you.” Lance said, resting his hand on Keith’s left hand. “Hey. Look at me. It’s ok. Things are _new_ between us! We just have to let it all fall into place naturally… with time… and we have that, Keith! We have the rest of our lives to, uh… fit with each other… You know what I’m saying?”

“Yeah. I do. And I do like you calling me ‘babe’, I just… never did pet names before.” Keith’s eyes locked with Lance’s.

“You’ll think of something…” Lance chuckled. “Let’s order that lobster, shall we?”

“You make everything sound so uncomplicated.” Keith shook his head, his smile bright.

“That’s because it usually is!” Lance said. “My old neighbour, Mr Antonio used to say _‘A vida é bela! A gente é que dá cabo dela…’”_ He told Keith, his Cuban accent giving more flare to the words that, Keith knew, were definitely not Spanish.

“And that is? I mean, I think I caught some of it, but…”

“It’s Portuguese. My parents’ next door neighbours came from Coimbra, in Portugal, many years ago. Veronica wasn’t even born at the time… It means ‘ _Life is beautiful! We’re the ones that ruin it…’”_

“That’s depressing!”

“Portuguese people have a very peculiar way to see things… It’s got this bittersweet overall mood to it, if you’re asking me! But the gist of it, is that in the end, we have the power to decide how to handle the things that life throws at us. We can go with the flow or fight it till our last breath. I’d much rather navigate that flow by your side…”

“Me too, Lance!”

“Not scared anymore?”

“Not as long as you’re by my side…” Keith turned his hand to intertwine his fingers with Lance’s. “You make me feel braver!”

“Lame…” Lance mumbled, but in reality he was trying not to make a mess by crying in the middle of the restaurant.

 

*******

 

It had been a perfect night, in Keith’s opinion, as they stood under the warm light of Lance’s porch light.

What a perfect memory this would make…

The dinner, wonderful beyond words, with a band playing and all. The movie, where Keith could just enjoy being so close to Lance, hands held tight, occasional kisses that tasted like popcorn and soda, Lance’s laughter when he actually paid attention to the comedy he’d chosen. Dancing at the club, their bodies pressed together as they moved in time with the music, resting his head on the curve of Lance’s neck, getting wonderfully drunk on the scent of his after shave, mingled with the natural scent of Lance’s skin that had become so familiar to him.

And now, humming goodbyes and plans for tomorrow as they kissed slowly and tenderly…

He’d dreamt about this so many times… for so many years … the sheer happiness on realizing this _was_ his reality now was overwhelming!

“I don’t want you to go…” Lance sighed, pressing their foreheads together. “I want… Oh, god…” Lance bit his lip. “I want to make love to you, Keith…” He said, almost pleading, hoping to god he wasn’t going too fast, too deep.

Keith gaped at him. He thought about it, of course, in 30 days it would have been hard not to at least entertain that thought!

Granted he’d never truly seen sex as _that_ important, and he’d never been one to just feel that kind of attraction for, well, anyone really!

But he’d definitely felt it for Lance, as his feelings for him grew, as they evolved from a crush, to young love and now to complete, overwhelming love with a capital L for the man in front of him. Lance had awaken the feeling of desire he’d been harbouring for the last weeks...

“I want that too…” He admitted, to Lance but also to himself.

Lance let out a nervous laughter.

“God! Is this weird? That I'm asking you this? Right now?”

“No, Lance. It isn't.” Keith ran his fingers through Lance’s hair.

“You can say no. Do you want to say no?” Lance asked, his eyes shining.

“No. I'd rather say yes.”

“Am I going too fast?”

“No, Lance…” Keith pulled Lance into his arms, wrapping them around Lance’s waist. “I've loved you for so many years! There's no _going too fast_ with this. Not with us.”

“I won't give you an awkward _morning after_ look…” Lance promised, his nose softly brushing Keith’s.

“I won't give you that either.”

“Okay.”

“You realize you're telling me I can stay the night!” Keith smiled.

“I am.”

“Just checking…”

“You're so weird, sometimes! But I like your weirdness.” Lance chuckled, stealing kisses from Keith’s lips.

“You're weird too…” Keith reminded him.

“Hmmm… but we're different kinds of weird. You're the quiet kind of weird and I'm the loud kind.”

“I guess together, our different weirdness makes up an actual normal person, uh?”

“I like that!”

“You like that?” Keith frowned, amused at Lance’s words.

“Yeah! I mean, people who say we're opposites of each other couldn't be more wrong, if you think about it!” He gave Keith a lopsided grin, as he let go momentarily to open the door and allow them inside the house.

“How so?” Keith followed him, reaching for his hand.

“We're complementary, Keith! We're not opposite! We fit in with each other perfectly.” And he lifted his hand to join with with Keith’s, their fingers entwining. “Even when we bicker. Because we always know… we just _know_!”

“We didn't knew we loved each other…” Keith whispered.

“We were kids, Keith!” Lance smiled. “Kids that had to grow too fast without the emotional support of familiarity. We were scared of getting too close only to end up losing each other.”

“So, you do know…”

“I told you! We're like that! We just know… even when we don't want to admit it!”

“I love you.”

“I know.” Lance whispered, his lips crashing on Keith’s.

And Keith knew at that moment that he would never say ‘No’ to Lance.

Not because Lance made him feel like he couldn't deny him anything, but because there was something about him that made him want to say _‘Yes’_!

Lance was the Sun.

Lance was the Sea.

Lance was all the good things that made Keith feel happy for being alive!

Lance made him unafraid to say _‘Yes’_.

He made him want to stay!

Not just for the night… Forever!

Every ounce of fear for the future washed away, as Lance held his hand, smiling brightly, the light from the moon coming through the living room window reflecting on his eyes, like the sea that gently rumbled outside.

He followed him towards his bedroom…

He would always follow him.

It felt like a sweet Surrender!

 

*******


	12. ...From Now On.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The word is out!  
> Someone got caught being all lovey-dovey, on their underwear, by Rachel and Mrs. McClain...  
> It's time for a gc convo between the girls and also some advice from our very own Space Dad!
> 
> On Rachel's contact list:  
> TheGoldenTata is herself (A tata is a stick used to clean the floors...but also a popular nickname for ones siblings.)  
> Mami2.0, is Veronica  
> LadyMcStabby, is Acxa  
> YassQueen, is Allura  
> ButterflyQueen, is Romelle  
> Pidgeon is... well... that one is obvious...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brain: You gotta end this fic someday...  
> Me: Why? Because the story is about to end?  
> My brain: No... Because you're a dumbass that uses songs as titles and you're running out of Walk The Moon songs that apply to the story...  
> Me: Oh...  
> Yeah...  
> That...

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYYtKG8st5M&list=OLAK5uy_kJoBpu6RuiqPWvzzRVwjoYA5GRk7h7UKE&index=12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYYtKG8st5M&list=OLAK5uy_kJoBpu6RuiqPWvzzRVwjoYA5GRk7h7UKE&index=12)

 

**TheGoldenTata**

I. Am. On. The. Verge. Of. Exploding!

ఠ_ఠ

…………

**Mami2.0**

What happened now?

And why are you on the gc?

**TheGoldenTata**

Because I need to share what went down at our hermanito’s house…?

Let me vent with the girls…?

Maybe…?

**LadyMcStabby**

I'm listening!

Please tell me this involves my dumbass brother…

**TheGoldenTata**

It definitely involves Keith!

**Mami2.0**

Spill!

No, wait…

I'm gonna add Allura and Melle.

 

 **_YassQueen_ ** _and_ **_ButterflyQueen_ ** _were added to the gc_

 

**YassQueen**

Good morning, ladies!

**ButterflyQueen**

Good morning!

What's going on with our favourite disasters?

Please feed me!

**TheGoldenTata**

I'm proud to announce Klance was caught red handed being domestic!

**Mami2.0**

You're still sticking with that pairing name?

**TheGoldenTata**

Yup!

**ButterflyQueen**

What's a pairing name?

**Mami2.0**

It's a 21st century thing.

You pick a name for a pair, usually using parts of each person's name.

**ButterflyQueen**

Nice!

**TheGoldenTata**

It's a good name!

**LadyMcStabby**

It's just your brother’s name with a K in it…

**TheGoldenTata**

Do you prefer Laith…?

Or Leith?

Or Keitance?

**LadyMcStabby**

Ugh…

No…

Klance it is.

I'm assuming Vero and I have a name too?

**YassQueen**

Ooooh!

Do Melle and I have one also?

**TheGoldenTata**

Duh…

Yeah!

Veracxa and Romellura!

I thought about Acxonica and Allumelle, but…

**Mami2.0**

That's cute…

But we're deviating from the subject…

Keith and Lance?

**TheGoldenTata**

You mean Klance?

**Mami2.0**

Stop.

**TheGoldenTata**

Yes, mami…

Anyways…

Mami and I went to Lance's house, to drop off the kids.

10 a.m.

As settled the previous day.

Except…

Someone kinda forgot the time?

And that someone was most definitely not alone?

**LadyMcStabby**

So, that's why Keith's phone was off…

**Mami2.0**

Oh

My

God

You're not serious!

**TheGoldenTata**

Easy there…

Not that scandalous.

Though their garments were reduced to boxer shorts and tank tops…

But no, they weren't caught in the act.

Just being goofy in the kitchen making pancakes.

It was kinda adorable actually…

**YassQueen**

So, when you say goofy…?

**TheGoldenTata**

I mean stealing kisses, giggling, dancing around the kitchen while trying to make pancakes!

I might have footage…

**Mami2.0**

HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU YOU'RE MY FAVOURITE SISTER?

**TheGoldenTata**

ಠ_ಠ

I'm…

Your only sister?!

**Mami2.0**

You know what I mean.

So.

The footage?

You gonna share that with me, or…?

**TheGoldenTata**

Or…

**Mami2.0**

Spoilsport.

**TheGoldenTata**

You're welcome.

You made fun of my pairing name…

**Mami2.0**

(◞‸◟)

**LadyMcStabby**

Babe…

Honey…

Sweetie…

I'm physically begging you to stop…

Rachel?

**TheGoldenTata**

Yes, Acxa?

**LadyMcStabby**

You're gonna let us watch those two being doofus bfs?

**YassQueen**

Please?

**ButterflyQueen**

Pleeeeeeeeeeeease…?

**TheGoldenTata**

Fine…

My home.

30 mins.

**YassQueen**

On our way!

**Mami2.0**

Wait a second…

What about mami?

And the kids?

How did they react?

**TheGoldenTata**

Oh, that was the best part!

So, mami tries really hard to put on a serious face, right? You know how she is…

**Mami2.0**

Oh, I know…

**YassQueen**

Ah, yes…

Such fun memories from my wedding reception…

**LadyMcStabby**

You know you're my Monarch, but…

Can you not?

**YassQueen**

Hmmm

**ButterflyQueen**

Hmmm

**LadyMcStabby**

Jeez, thanks…

**TheGoldenTata**

As I was saying…

Mami was putting on her serious face. Keith and Lance were as red as a traffic light.

**Mami2.0**

I thought it was Klance

**TheGoldenTata**

Shhhhhhh…

I'm not done yet…

**YassQueen**

Red as traffic lights…?

**TheGoldenTata**

Yes.

Thank you, Allura…

But, yeah, they really were…

The kids were giggling, though I'm sure they didn't quite understand the full implications of seeing their dad and his boyfriend cooking breakfast on undergarments.

**LadyMcStabby**

Thankfully…

**TheGoldenTata**

Yup.

So, Lance was glaring at me and Keith was pretty much paralyzed, and THEN the pancake starts burning!

Keith panics, throws the pan into the sink. Mami runs towards him and gets the water running. Keith starts apologizing over and over again. Lance facepalms and I take the kids to the garden laughing my ass off!

**YassQueen**

Look on the bright side!

There's no denying they're really together now…

Like, together-together.

Not just “well, we're kinda dating, but it's not official yet!”

**Mami2.0**

True.

**ButterflyQueen**

Does that mean I can finally be obnoxiously cheesy with them?

**LadyMcStabby**

I think it's almost mandatory that we get cheesy with them…

**Mami2.0**

You just want payback for Keith giving you a hard time when we started dating.

**LadyMcStabby**

Uh, yeah!?

Hello? I'm his sister… it's like, my birthright to  do so?

**TheGoldenTata**

You Ganes are all so intense!

**LadyMcStabby**

Do you want one too?

There are still some available cousins around Japan!

**TheGoldenTata**

Uhhhhh…

It's a hard pass, thanks…

**YassQueen**

So, what happened next?

**TheGoldenTata**

After that train wreck, and after those two put on some more clothes, - and after mami stopped laughing, mind you! - they finally got some breakfast and then mami invited Keith for lunch at our house!

**Mami2.0**

Which is why you're messaging us…

**TheGoldenTata**

Exactly!

And also why I hope you're getting ready to leave the resort and get here, because mami and papi are cooking for an army…

**LadyMcStabby**

We're on our way!

**Mami2.0**

She's psychologically smelling mami’s cooking…

😏

**TheGoldenTata**

What's with the middle-aged mom emojis?

**Mami2.0**

They're cool!

Besides… Rachel…

This is the 23rd century!

Stop labeling emojis, we live in a democracy!

😋😎😀

**LadyMcStabby**

THAT'S MY FUTURE WIFE!!!

😘😘😘

**Mami2.0**

😍😍😍😍😍

**TheGoldenTata**

Seriously???

**YassQueen**

Wait until they do get married…

**ButterflyQueen**

As a married woman, I can confirm!

**TheGoldenTata**

(☉д⊙)

I'm being painfully reminded by my own brain that I'm gonna be their neighbour…

**Mami2.0**

Our new home is NOT that close!

**TheGoldenTata**

I'm moving to Matanzas…

**Pidgeon**

WHAT DID I MISS???

**TheGoldenTata**

Everything, Pidge…

**Pidgeon**

Even the lunch invitation?

**Mami2.0**

Duh! No… of course you're coming too!

It's 12:30…

Was your phone dead?

**Pidgeon**

Actually, yes!

But it's fixed now.

Not that it matters…

Anyway…

Keith and Lance?

So, they…

**TheGoldenTata**

Yeah, Pidge…

I think by their reaction it was pretty obvious they had sex!

**Pidgeon**

FUCKING FINALLY!

All of the lingering sexual tension was driving me mad!

Keith was insufferable!

**LadyMcStabby**

You're just tired of babysitting Kosmo, and now you're hoping they hurry up and move in together, because that way Kosmo will live with them and you won't have to look after a teleporting space wolf almost the size of a horse…

**Pidgeon**

I LIKE KOSMO!

**TheGoldenTata**

No one said otherwise…

No, get your ass over here fast or you won't get any papas rellenas…

**Pidgeon**

✈️

 

*******

 

**Shiro-gone**

I just received a message from Lance???

“ _Lunch at my parents._

_Keith is freaking out.”_

????????

**Knives R Us**

Who's coming…?

**Shiro-gone**

All of us, Keith…

It's the Brady Bunch reunion…

**Knives R Us**

Can't I hide somewhere else instead?

**Shiro-gone**

No. You're an adult.

You face things like an adult.

What happened?

**Knives R Us**

I spent the night with Lance.

**Shiro-gone**

And when you say you spent the night…?

**Knives R Us**

For fuck's sake, Shiro!

Do I have to spell it out?

**Shiro-gone**

You're not having second thoughts, are you?

**Knives R Us**

NO!

What I'm having is an existential crisis over being caught only in boxer shorts...

...and a fucking tank top, holding on to Lance...

...AS WE FREAKING DANCED! IN THE KITCHEN!

I DON'T DANCE IN KITCHENS!

**Shiro-gone**

Ah, young love…

Newsflash, kiddo!

Life changes when we're in love.

But, mostly, we get the chance to live that love to the fullest…

Dancing in the kitchen with the man you love? Oh, you'll do that again!

And you'll love it!

**Knives R Us**

But his mom caught us!

**Shiro-gone**

So?

She loves you to death, Keith!

I'm pretty sure she was beyond happy to see both of you being so domestically lame…

**Knives R Us**

The kids were there…

**Shiro-gone**

Sofia, Laura and Miguel just witnessed their dad being happy, dancing with his boyfriend -probably singing - while cooking breakfast…

They're young enough to not worry about the one thing that's making you freak out, and now they know the guy they like, the one they know their father loves, the one they so obviously have given their blessing to become their future dad, definitely wants to stay.

You do want to stay, don't you?

**Knives R Us**

More than anything!

**Shiro-gone**

Then relax!

Lance's family adores you!

And I've never seen you looking so at ease, so… at home, like you do here.

I'm happy for both of you, but mostly? I'm so proud of you for overcoming your issues and finally seeing yourself as someone worthy of being loved!

**Knives R Us**

Doesn't mean I'm not scared, you know?

But I'm more scared of never giving me and Lance the chance to do this.

**Shiro-gone**

It's “Lance and me”, not the other way around…

And love can be scary!

But it's also worth it!

**Knives R Us**

1st, thank you Professor Shirogane…

2nd, Thanks for the support!

I mean it!

**Shiro-gone**

I'm always by your side, kiddo…

**Knives R Us**

Please stop calling me ‘kiddo’...

I'm almost 30…

**Shiro-gone**

No, you're not…

You're like 12, or whatever…

**Knives R Us**

And you're 8!

**Shiro-gone**

Listen, dumbass…

Just because I was born on a leap year…

**Knives R Us**

¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Shiro-gone**

Ass…

By the way!

Before I forget…

Kuron and Curtis applied for adoption!

＼(~o~)／

**Knives R Us**

Awwwww…

They're getting adopted?

**Shiro-gone**

KEITH AKIRA KOGANE!

**Knives R Us**

Just messing with you…

You know damn well I'm happy for them.

What about you and Adam?

**Shiro-gone**

I'm not so sure I'd make a good father anymore…

I'm too messed up.

**Knives R Us**

You give yourself too much of a hard time, Shiro!

You've been going to therapy on the regular, you're awesome with kids!

And you raised me!

Can't get worse than that!

**Shiro-gone**

I'll think about it…

Gotta go. They're already waiting for us at the lobby.

See you in 10...ish…

**Knives R Us**

See ya!

I'm gonna impress my maybe-if-I'm-lucky, future mother-in-law and help setting the table.

**Shiro-gone**

So domestic!

Good boy!

**Knives R Us**

Shush…

I have video evidence of you sucking up to Adam's mom too!

**Shiro-gone**

*The number you reached is unavailable*

**Knives R Us**

Real mature…

(◕(ｴ)◕)

Just get your ass over here!

**Shiro-gone**

Leaving this very moment.  


 

 

****************


	13. There's Sun On My Skin...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some cheesy, sassy girls gc times...  
> from now on it's speeding up to the end!  
> I love this fic, but it´s time to start wrapping up and moving on to other parts of this story.

**<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnQS0FGaBbg> **

 

**Mami2.0**

Don't forget…

Tomorrow 9 a.m. at _Casa McClain_!

**LadyMcStabby**

Dress shopping…

Yay…

**ButterflyQueen**

It's the bridesmaids dresses…

**LadyMcStabby**

So…?

**ButterflyQueen**

You and Veronica are going to be sitting comfortably while we spend the day trying dresses after dresses.

**Mami2.0**

Hmmm, no…?

We have a schedule?

Dresses first… Spa afterwards?

Is Shay coming?

**TheGoldenTata**

Yes, she is.

Actually she's right here with me!

Let me add her…

_TheGoldenTata added CandyHeartWarrior_

**CandyHeartWarrior**

🙋

Really excited about the Spa!

Not so sure about the dress...😕

**Mami2.0**

What? No!

You'll look perfect with the dress on!

**LadyMcStabby**

Shay?

Sweetie?

Actual cinnamon roll that could kills us in a second?

Hunk is gonna trip on his feet and gawk at you when he sees you in your bridesmaid dress!

**Mami2.0**

And since we're good, decent brides, we're not gonna make you wear god awful dresses…

**TheGoldenTata**

You better not!

AND NO PINK!

**YassQueen**

Thanks, Rachel.

**ButterflyQueen**

Ditto.

**TheGoldenTata**

😱

**Mami2.0**

……………….

Rachel used an emoji!

Hey Melle?

**ButterflyQueen**

Yes, Veronica?

**Mami2.0**

You said “ditto”

**ButterflyQueen**

So?

**Mami2.0**

That's what you get when you spend too much time with the Garrets…

**CandyHeartWarrior**

Excuse you?

There's no such thing as too much time with the Garrets!

**TheGoldenTata**

Shhhhhhhh

I'm still not over the fact you and Hunk just eloped like that…

**Mami2.0**

What she said!

**LadyMcStabby**

👆

**ButterflyQueen**

👆

**YassQueen**

👆

**CandyHeartWarrior**

It was a spur of the moment thing…

Besides, what's the difference?

A marriage’s a marriage’s and we really wanted to avoid the whole chaos and unnecessary anxiety of having to plan it all!

Plus, it was cheaper like that…

**TheGoldenTata**

Story Time!

Vero?

**Mami2.0**

Though you make some sense, Shay…

Story Time!

The one and only time I mentioned eloping in my mami’s vicinity, I received The Glare™!

**CandyHeartWarrior**

What's The Glare™?

**TheGoldenTata**

It's the silent way a mother says “over my dead body!”

Which is more extreme than “Say what?”, that actually gives you the opportunity to change what you just said.

**Mami2.0**

Yup!

The Glare™ has the same psychological power as a chancleta!

Let me explain you something:

LATINOS DON'T ELOPE!

It might be your marriage…

But it's not //your// wedding!

Watching two people say “I Do”, is just the preamble to the important part.

The Wedding Reception!

**TheGoldenTata**

Which lasts until the sunrise...or, if you have kids, until they start collapsing mid-party and you use that as an excuse to get out of there…

(Mentally glaring at Luís and Lance)

**YassQueen**

Someone else is going to use that excuse at this wedding!

**Mami2.0**

Oh?

You have something to tell us?

**LadyMcStabby**

Allura…?

**YassQueen**

No.

Not yet.

I was thinking of Keith.

**TheGoldenTata**

Not yet, uh?

Nice detail.

**CandyHeartWarrior**

Are those two actually official?

Finally?

**Mami2.0**

Apparently.

**LadyMcStabby**

Newsflash: Keith vacated his hotel room!

**ButterflyQueen**

Come again?

**LadyMcStabby**

How can I come again, when I haven't even left?

**ButterflyQueen**

 

**LadyMcStabby**

**TheGoldenTata**

Seriously Acxa?

Since when is your brother and his dog a reaction image?

**LadyMcStabby**

I have about 200 pics (including Garrison security footage) of the almighty Voltron Team that I can use as reaction images…

**TheGoldenTata**

I'm your future sister-in-law!

When were you thinking of sharing the wealth?

And do you have my brother in embarrassing pics?

**LadyMcStabby**

I might!

**Mami2.0**

Babe…?

**LadyMcStabby**

Yeah, babe?

**Mami2.0**

No.

**LadyMcStabby**

But, Vero…

**ButterflyQueen**

I have one!

**TheGoldenTata**

Jajajajajajaja!

Frustrato Spaghettio!

Saving that one.

**YassQueen**

Melle!

**CandyHeartWarrior**

I've got one too!

**Mami2.0**

Did Pidge edit that on her laptop?

**CandyHeartWarrior**

Yes.

It's the screenshot of a video she did of those two “accidentally” flirting.

At least that's what she called it.

**LadyMcStabby**

Speaking of Pidge…

Where's our favourite gremlin?

**YassQueen**

Probably ghosting on the gc, so she doesn't have to discuss dresses.

**TechGremlin**

Am not!

**TheGoldenTata**

Hmmm…

**Mami2.0**

Hmmm…

**ButterflyQueen**

Hmmm…

**YassQueen**

Hmmm…

**TechGremlin**

Oh, stop!

I was reading it all, but I was busy!

**TheGoldenTata**

Excuses!

**CandyHeartWarrior**

You're coming tomorrow!

**TechGremlin**

Do I have to?

**CandyHeartWarrior**

If I get to wear a dress, so do you!

**TechGremlin**

Ugh…

**YassQueen**

What is it with you and dresses?

**TechGremlin**

Asks the person who took five different models of jeans to New Altea…

**YassQueen**

First: They're comfy!

Second: I do what I want!

**TechGremlin**

Do you have your membership card with you?

**YassQueen**

Of course!

Wait a second, I have it right here…

There!

**Mami2.0**

Are you all quite done?

**TheGoldenTata**

Si, mami!

**Mami2.0**

I hate all of you…

Except Shay!

Shay is a ray of sunshine!

Unlike the rest of you heathens!

Ruling Monarchs included…

Do not forget! Tomorrow 9 a.m.

No excuses (that means you, Pidge… I'll send Kosmo to fetch you!)

**TechGremlin**

Kosmo likes me.

**Mami2.0**

I seem to recall Keith carrying his stuff onto Lance's van…

**TheGoldenTata**

Kosmo is a McClain too now!

**TechGremlin**

Compensating for seven oblivious years, uh?

**LadyMcStabby**

You know it!

See you all tomorrow.

GIRL'S DAY OUT!

**Mami2.0**

You bet!

I wanna relax on that spa, because this last 30 days are gonna be chaotic, and neither me nor Acxa will get a break until we still our married asses on the damn plane that'll take us to our honeymoon!

**CandyHeartWarrior**

Why I eloped…

**TheGoldenTata**

Again I remind you…

We're Cuban…

See you all tomorrow.

I have a seniors’ Judo class to give.

**YassQueen**

Bye, sweeties!

**ButterflyQueen**

****

  **CandyHeartWarrior**

Awww… cute!

See you tomorrow!

😘

  
  
  
  
  



	14. Aquaman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last preparations for the upcoming wedding.  
> Some healthy Kogane siblings/ McClain siblings banter.  
> Lance analyzes his so called rivalry on the Garrison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning:  
> My Texas (the state) Headcanon is NOT a part of the USA anymore!  
> It turned into a whole independent nation, that became much closer politically and culturally to Mexico after WW3.  
> Other former states that seceded from the USA on my hc vision of post WW3:  
> California  
> Florida  
> Hawaii

 

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRVgptW7bYg>

“I don't have to do this… it's not my wedding…” Keith mumbled, sitting at the dinner table at the McClains home. He peered at Lance, on the other side of the table to confirm he was as bored about it all as he was, but if he was, he hid that fact pretty damn well, since he was cheerfully sorting out table assignments with Veronica.

“Yes, you do,” Acxa snorted, not even looking at her brother. “You're my best man, so…”

“Padrino, you mean!” Keith side-eyed her.

“Jeez, Keith!” Acxa rolled her eyes. “You don't have to suck up to Lance that much! He already likes you, even if you don't speak Spanish…”

“Hey!” Lance whined without conviction. Keith on his end glared at his sister.

“Excuse you? I can speak Spanish quite well! I'm not the one needing classes!” He groaned.

“It's more Mexican Spanish, but ok.” Veronica snorted.

“So?” Keith asked. “The basis is the same, except we don't ‘eat’ letters.”

“Babe…” Lance raised an eyebrow. “Don't? I recall you audibly gasping when I only said the word ‘coger’, so let's not pick on the nuances of Cuban Spanish versus Mexican Spanish…” He tried sounding like he was chastising Keith, but ended up chuckling no matter what.

Keith reddened at the memory, squinting at Lance.

“It's a bad word…” He mumbled. “You can't even get lemons and limes correctly!” He stuck his tongue, quickly avoiding a kick in the shin.

“Why is ‘coger’ a bad word?” Sofia’s inquiring voice echoed behind Keith, as she leaned into him, sliding her small arms around his neck.

Smiling widely, Keith took his right hand back, to ruffle the little girl's hair.

“One day, I'm sure you'll find out exactly why, but you're too young and it is a really, really bad word that I never want to hear you say whenever we go to El Paso, ok?” He explained her, sliding his chair back to allow her to sit on his lap.

“Ok! What are you doing?” She asked.

“Your papi and your tia are making sure everyone gets the right seat at the tables. Acxa and I are going over the floral arrangements and overall decor for the reception venue.” Keith said, showing her the charts, filled with pictures, names and annotations.

“Getting married is complicated.” Sofia huffed. “We've spent every single day doing something _for_ the wedding… I liked my dress before, but I'm soooo tired of trying it on and having to stand very still while tia Lisa fills that thing with pins, I mean…” She rolled her eyes. “I'm never getting married!”

Lance snorted loudly at his older daughter. “Don't say that out loud, or you'll summon The Glare-” He made air quotes. “from your abuela…”

“I heard that!” Rosa McClain hollered from the kitchen.

“Es una broma, mami!” Lance said, turning to peek at the open door to see his mother standing there with one hand on her hip, and the other one risen, holding a very familiar object.

“Y esto es una chancleta, mijo…” Rosa waved her slipper, with a lopsided grin.

Lance pouted as the rest of them snickered at him.

“Hey, Vero?” Keith asked.

“Yeah?”

“This is the kind of situation where you'd use the sentence ‘Arroz con mango’, right?”

“It depends on the amount of trouble your boyfriend gets himself into, but yeah!”

“See?” He smiled in a teasing way, lightly kicking Lance under the table. “I'm learning!”

“Keep it up and you're sleeping with Dante…”

Sofia hid her face against Keith's chest, giggling in amusement.

“Traidora!” Her father yelped, with a not so convincing surprised expression, which only caused the little girl to laugh harder. That in turn brought her siblings running into the kitchen, promptly surrounding Lance.

“Papi! Estoy aburrido…” Miguel leaned into Lance's left arm, while his sister mimicked him on the other side.

“English please…” Lance reminded him. “Tia Acxa is still a bit rusty with her Spanish.”

“That's ok,” She smiled at the little boy making funny faces. “I need the practice.”

Lance nodded.

“I know. But so do the kids.”

“Can we go to the beach?” Laura asked, making puppy eyes.

“Just ten more minutes.”

“You said that ten minutes ago.” Her brother huffed at their father, arms crossed and a pout on his face. “Keeeeeeith…” Miguel went around the table, trying to convince the other man. “Can you come with us? Please?”

“Please, please?” Laura was practically hopping from one foot to the other.

Keith exchanged a look with Lance, to which Lance simply shrugged with a smile.

“Ok, then.” He said. “Get your stuff and let's go.” Keith flicked Sofia’s nose, tilting his head as a sign for her to stand up. The three kids ran inside to get their things, leaving the grown ups on the dining room.

“I'll meet you there.” Lance lifted his head slightly to receive his already customary kiss, as Keith got up and passed by his seat. “I just have to finish this, ok?”

“Don't take too long…” Keith whispered, going down for another quick kiss before leaving for the backdoor, that took them straight to the beach.

Lance watched on as the kids rushed through the room, yelling excited goodbyes at the remaining people before dashing off after Keith.

“oooookay…” Veronica snorted, eyes wide.

“What?” Lance asked, with a curious expression.

“That was… oddly cheesy and domestic but, ok!”

“Vero…” Rosa McClain warned her daughter, appearing behind Lance.

“I'm just saying!” She threw her hands up. “After all it took these two fools _years_ to get where they are!”

“It's not like I'm planning to get down on one knee and ask him to marry me right now!” Lance scoffed, and ok maybe that was a long term plan… but they were taking it slow.

 _Maybe_ not as slow as Veronica was thinking, but still…

It all just felt like falling so naturally and easily into place!

He loved Keith.

So did the kids.

And Keith loved them back!

Why would they go around the bush when they had already wasted so much time?

The children had been so happy to have Keith around, in their home. Why shouldn't he stay?

And it was having a clear effect on Keith! He smiled more, he laughed more, he was finally winding down, letting go and living for the moment… _in the moment!_ Instead of over thinking and over worrying about the future.

It was quite the vision to see the usually uptight Keith Kogane, going around the streets of Varadero with nothing more than tees and shorts instead of his usual all black attire!

Life was good and he was not gonna complicate things…

“Are you happy, mijo?” Rosa asked, raking her fingers through her son's curls.

“Si, mami...” Lance smiled.

“As long as you're sure you not going too fast with your relationship with Keith!” She smiled back at him, leaning to kiss him on the cheek.

“I'm sure.”

“Good! Because I like that boy!”

“This has been a very, very long time in the making!” Veronica brightened, leaning back on the chair, her work on the chart finally completed. “After all, you haven't shut up about Keith since you were thirteen!”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Lance gaped.

“Oh, come on, Lance!” Veronica let out a frustrated groan, making Acxa laugh.

“Seriously?” Acxa shook her head. “How oblivious can one be?”

“Mijo, they're right, you know? Ever since you met that boy at the Garrison, each letter, each call was always ‘Keith this… Keith that…’! Just because _you_ called it a rivalry, doesn't mean the rest of us couldn't see through that!”

“I have no idea what you're talking about…” Lance said, without conviction.

“Oh, wow! It's like echoes of my own brother…” Acxa pinched the bridge of her nose.

“We knew he was bisexual, before he came to terms with it himself, sweetheart…” Veronica smirked.

“True!” Rosa nodded emphatically.

“You know what?” Lance stood up with a defiant look on his face. “ _I_ am going to join my kids and my boyfriend on the beach…”

“Cobarde!” Veronica rolled her eyes. Admit you had a crush on him back at the Garrison!” She turned to face Lance who proceeded to walk out the backdoor without so much looking back at his sister.

“Did not!” He bit back.

“Did too!”

“Not!”

“Too!”

Veronica slumped her shoulder watching her stubborn brother walking away. She turned to her fiancee and her mother with a smirk.

“He did!” She said.

Rosa McClain patted her daughter's shoulder, with a knowing smile.

“We know…”

 

***

 

Running for the beach and running away from his sister's words were two very different things…

And if his restlessness was anything to go by, one would say such words had indeed caused an effect!

Fact number one: having Keith at his home because, and quote, ‘Why waste money on the hotel, when we basically spend the entire day together’ felt really, really nice!

Fact number two: It wasn't permanent yet and, in the end, Keith would have to choose if he'd just stay… forever!

Fact number three: Exactly when did Lance start harbouring feelings for his favourite Mullet Samurai?

Because, and that was fact number four, he did talk _a lot_ about Keith back on those Garrison days! It did bother him that Keith turned around and left when he tried introducing himself! And it most certainly left a mark when they arrived at flight instruction and received the information that Keith had left…

So…

Did he resent Keith? As someone who he saw as distant? As a rival?

Or did he resent something else?

Another piece to the puzzle falling into an unexpected but nevertheless natural place…

Just because he couldn't quite understand or name those feelings, it didn't mean they weren't there…

“Goddamit!” He let out, his knees drawn closer to his chest, resting his forehead on them.

At his side, both close by the rolling, shallow waves, Keith stared at Lance, chuckling at his boyfriend.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

“No. Yes. Well,” Lance sat straight, taking a deep breath. “It's not wrong… not really! It's just… listen, you kinda had a crush on me back at the Garrison, right?”

Keith looked somewhere between confused and amused at the same time.

“Yeah… I admitted that much… why?”

“I was thinking, - well, Veronica was picking on me, to be honest… - and I guess I kinda had a crush on you too. I just didn't quite accept it, or I miserably failed to acknowledge what the heck I was feeling… we were kids, you know? It was complicated. _I_ was complicated!” He sighed, biting his lip. “Anyways, I just though you should know…”

Keith scooted closer to Lance bumping their shoulders with a cocky smile.

“Uh, Lance?”

“Yeah?”

“I know.”

Lance looked perplexed.

“Excuse me?”

Keith let out a soft laughter, letting his gaze upon the kids playing by the water, before returning with renewed intent to lock onto Lance's ocean blue eyes, leaning to capture his lips into a tender kiss.

“Hunk told me.” He admitted. “He was also under the impression you were in denial, but he was sure my own crush was reciprocated.”

“I'm gonna kill Hunk…”

“No, you won't.” Keith smiled, pulling Lance closer and going in for another kiss.

He could get lost in those warm, soft lips!

His mind kept going back and forth between ‘Holy shit! This is actually happening!’, to ‘I'M GONNA DO THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!’... And he couldn't be happier!

“You're getting obnoxious and conceited.” Lance joked, their lips still lightly brushing.

“Thank you! I've been learning with you!”

“I hate you…” Lance smirked, leaning into Keith's crook of the neck.

“I love you too.”

They sat there, arms around each other's waist, enjoying the closeness, the way it felt each day natural to just be together, to make plans.

Behind them, a house with the comfort of an ever growing family.

In front of them, three happy kids, playing loudly on the rolling waves, with the carefree feeling that came with the certainty of being loved.

Everything was alright!

They were on the right path...


	15. Tightrope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Acxa has her own issues with her Galra heritage and her fear of not being completely accepted.

**[https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=EEoIeCa05jM&feature=share](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=EEoIeCa05jM&feature=share) **

**Acxa**

In two weeks she would finally become Veronica's wife, starting a life together in a beautiful house surrounded by palm trees and overlooking the beach.

After a lifetime of war, Acxa would be entering a new chapter in her life, still tied to the Blades and their Relief and Beneficent branch, but mostly from her new homeworld and it with a real home to come back to. And Veronica, the woman that made her not only believe in love, but also crave it, fight for it, relish it!

Veronica was her whole heart!

She was beyond happy to marry her!

And yet, Acxa couldn't quite shake the apprehension that made her feel like her head was spinning...

“Hey… is everything ok…?” Her brother gave her a concerned look, closing the book that was definitely not going to be finished any time soon that day. His eyes lowered to the little girl asleep with her head on his lap, not containing a dopey smile as he brushed Sofia’s hair away from her eyes and nose.

Acxa smiled. It was a joy to see how perfectly Keith fitted into the McClains’ lives.

She’d done that too… apparently… but, now, with the wedding almost at the door and numerous other relatives arriving, she couldn't help to wonder if they would take lightly to an alien…

And a Galra, to top it!

“What if they don't like me?” Acxa blurted out, finally putting words to her feelings.

“What?” Keith gaped, startling at his sister's words, causing Sofia to complain as she blinked. “Sorry, sweetie, go back to sleep.” He whispered softly. “Now you, care to elaborate? I'm kinda lost…”

“Veronica's family. What if they don't like me?” She asked.

“Are you serious?” He kept his tone hushed. “The McClains love you!”

“I wasn't referring to them…” Acxa rolled her eyes. “I was talking about the rest of the family… there's a lot of relatives coming to the wedding that haven't even met me yet! What if I'm too _alien_ to them?” She turned away, immediately catching sight of Rosa McClain, exiting the kitchen and looking at her with a sympathetic look.

“Mija…” She rushed towards Acxa, grabbing her hands.

“Mrs McClain, I-” Acxa felt her face heat up.

“Ay, mi niña… Is that what's been bothering you, cariño?” Rosa asked her.

“I… I'm sorry…”

“Nonsense!” She squeezed Acxa’s hands, giving her a comforting smile. She than turned to Keith. “Keith, mijo, can you leave us alone for a while? I need to talk with your sister…”

“Of course, Mrs McClain.” He squeezed Sofia’s shoulder, waking the girl up and picking her up, carrying her upstairs, as she held onto him, visibly trying to go back to sleep with her head resting on the crook of Keith's neck.

“You two…” Rosa shook her head. “Haven't I told you to call me Rosa?”

“You have,” Keith nodded, looking back at Lance's mom. “But it's still weird to call you only by your name… it doesn't feel respectful enough.”

Rosa chuckled, waving Keith away.

“Your brother is a gentleman!” She told Acxa. “Maybe _he_ can teach my son some manners!” She joked, taking Acxa’s arm and leading her to the kitchen. “Now, you sit here and we'll talk it over, whatever is making you this insecure… how about a nice cup of coffee?”

“Yes, thank you…”

With two strong coffees in front of them, the two women faced each other.

“So…” Rosa began. “Tell me what's been bothering you? Are you really afraid the rest of the family won't like you?”

Acxa shifted on the chair, thinking how to begin explaining her fears. “Well… I am part of the people who invaded your world… I'm alien. Different. I might not be what they had envisioned for Veronica…”

“Oh, my sweet child!” Rosa reached for Acxa’s hand, holding it tight. “It's a big family and, like in all families, you're bound to find different opinions, some even a bit… misguided… but, at the end of the day, what's really important is how much you and my daughter love each other. And we love you too! All of us!” She reassured her.”You're family!” Acxa nodded, still keeping her eyes down. “But that's not all that you're worrying about, now is it? I would never judge your mother's actions towards you and your brother, but I'm sure it must have been hard on you, being raised mostly away from Krolia, trained to be a warrior and a spy,  not having the opportunity to have what I'd consider a normal childhood… and then you and Vero started dating.”

“It's all so different…” Acxa whispered. “You're so many and so united! Even when we were fighting Honerva and you sought refuge at the Garrison, you always went through great lengths to shelter the children and allow them some kind of normality! Well, what I understand now to be normal amongst humans…” She gave Rosa a tentative smile. “Your family gave me something I didn't know I needed… I love you all so much… I want that for me too! I want that feeling of belonging, of safety, of…” Acxa’s eyes widened. “of being home!” She bit her lip, not containing a sudden tear.

Rosa gulped, raising from her chair and going around the table to where Acxa sat, stretching her arms towards the young woman and enveloping her shoulders and cradling her head against her bosom, holding her tight and kissing the top of her head.

“Mi niña…” Rosa whispered softly. “You are home! You're family now! You love my daughter so much… and I love you for it. But also because you are a good person, with a good heart. That's all I could ever ask of you, Acxa.” She cupped her cheeks, wiping her tears away with gentle fingertips. “I never much cared for the stereotypical mother-in-law image… I want to be here for you whenever you need me, alright?”

Acxa took a deep, but still sobbing sigh.

“Alright…” She nodded. “I'm sorry I'm such a mess.”

Rosa let out a chuckle.

“Oh, sweetie… I understand.” She raked her fingers through Acxa’s hair, just liked she always did with her children. “Planning a wedding can be quite nerve racking!”

Acxa smiled, feeling the heaviness that had set on her heart and mind start to dissipate with Rosa’s words.

“It has been… quite intense!”

“Intense can be an understatement!” Rosa chuckled, sitting beside Acxa, with the young woman's hands within hers. “And I went through it twice! Though marrying Alejandro was a bit different than marrying my first husband Jorge...”

“Did you ever worry it wouldn't work again?”

“No.” Rosa shook her head. “Jorge and I were too young when we married… I was barely twenty and he wasn't even a year older. We mistook passion for love and dove headfirst after five months of dating. Of course it wouldn't last! But, thankfully, we realised soon enough that we didn't have enough things in common to build our marriage on. I don't think anyone was truly surprised when we divorced after only two years.” She squeezed Acxa’s gently. “ With Alejandro, I took the time to get to know him before we decided that marriage was the natural next step in our relationship. And look where I am now! Five kids, five grandsons and another one on the way, Vero is marrying you and my Lance is finally on his own path to happiness. Life can be so beautiful if we have the strength not to give up on ourselves… We all have the right to pursue happiness, my dear. And love, either some people want it or not, is still more abundant and shines brighter than apathy and even hate. So, no, I never worried because life is too damn short for me to do that!”

Acxa leaned forward with a bright smile taking over her features and wrapped her arms around Rosa McClain’s shoulders in a warm embrace.

“You're amazing! I love you very much and I want you to know that!” She said. “All I ever wanted was to finally feel like I belong. I feel that with all of you…”

“You have a huge family now!”

Both women laughed.

“I do. I really do.” Acxa nodded.

Her life had been constantly changing since the day her mother told Keith she was his sister…

It wasn't all smooth sailing, but she became part of what was now known as the ‘Ganes’ family and now she was just days from also becoming a part of the McClain family.

Was it overwhelming?

Yes.

Was she having second thoughts?

Hell, no!

Being nervous and having low self esteem didn't equate not wanting to become Veronica's wife with all her heart!

“Veronica told me you are going to take her name.” Rosa chimed in, getting up to take the cups to the sink.

“Yes, I am.” Acxa confirmed. “The Galra don't have last names so, I started entertaining that idea.”

“Acxa McClain.” Rosa said, like taking notes on how it sounded. “I do like it! As long as it's something _you_ want and nothing you feel like you have to do.”

“Oh, no! I want it!” Acxa beamed. “I think having a last name and it being Veronica's gives me that feeling of being grounded. Personally, it's like it completes me. It makes me an individual person. Even amongst the Galra people will know who I am. For me. I won't be just ‘Acxa, daughter of Krolia’. I'll be Acxa McClain!”

“I'm glad to know that.” Rosa nodded in approval.

The doorbell rang through the house, making Rosa look at her watch while Keith's voice echoed as he ran down the stairs. “I'll get it!”

“Ready?” Rosa looked, sympathetically at Acxa.

“Rehearsal…” Acxa rolled her eyes. “Why do we need to rehearse for the wedding? All we need to do is repeat what the priest says, say I do and go to the reception…”

Rosa laughed wholeheartedly as Veronica made her appearance at the kitchen door, followed by Lance with his arm around Keith's waist.

“A likely story.” Veronica hummed, with a lopsided grin. “Doesn't make the rehearsal less mandatory.”

“Ugh…” Acxa slumped her shoulders, looking at her brother. “I don't know what you're laughing about. You're my best man, meaning you have to go too… and you too!” She pointed at a snorting Lance, who promptly stuck his tongue out.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Lance rolled his eyes playfully, resting his head on Keith's shoulder. “Let me go get the kids so we can all go suffer through the rehearsal properly…” He said, leaving with Keith upstairs.

“I'll go get my things…” Rosa announced, leaving the two women alone.

“Hey…” Veronica whispered, walking towards Acxa, her hands going to the other woman's face, gently cupping it. “Is everything alright?”

Acxa nodded slightly, pulling Veronica closer and placing a soft kiss on her fianceé’s lips.

“Everything's perfect now!” She reassured Veronica. “I love you so much!”

“Aww… That's gay, Acxa.” Veronica wiggled her eyebrows.

Acxa shook her head, letting her a puff of air, clearly unimpressed by Veronica's joke.

“We're literally getting married in exactly two weeks… You're insufferable, you know?”

“Why, thank you, gorgeous! It's my best quality!”

“Why did I fall in love with you…?” Acxa chuckled, pressing their foreheads together.

“It's the old McClain charm.” Veronica said, matter of factly.

“Cocky…”

“Another quality.” Veronica shrugged.

“You two done with shamelessly flirting in the kitchen, or…?” Lance yelled at them, with clear amusement while his kids ran down the stairs.

“At least we don't go around dancing in our underwear, oh ‘Loverboy Lance’...” Veronica threw at him, leaving the kitchen, hand in hand with Acxa. She felt quite pleased with her brother's offended look, Keith pinching the bridge of his nose and the kids giggling.

“You!” He glared. “You just remember what day is today… I'll get you for this!”

“Love you too, little brother.”

Acxa and Keith shrugged at each other, like saying ‘Yup. This is our life now…’

And it was a damn good life!

  
  
  
  
  



	16. Now Tell Me, Do You Feel That Rush?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding day is coming!!!  
> And while they all have last minute details to stress over, it's Keith's day to entertain the kids and spare them the unnecessary stress!  
> Bonding Time with Sofia, Laura, Miguel, Sylvio and Nadia!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked the supposedly almost-canon family name Sanchez, but since I could never imagine Lance as anything else then a McClain, I'm "recycling" it as Lisa's maiden name.  
> And since, as previously explained, in Cuba the wives keep their last name and that's the one the kids get, Sylvio and Nadia are McClain Sanchez (no hyphen).  
> Also:  
> DID YOU KNOW CUBANS WEAR THEIR WEDDING RINGS ON THEIR RIGHT HANDS AND NOT THE LEFT ONE?

 

 

 

Grown ups were so weird sometimes…

Sure, she had a cool family! And now papi had a boyfriend! And he was really nice and had a huge dog that poofed in and out of places, could take them along, and also could change size!

And _that_ was super cool!

Kosmo was the best play buddy ever! Even Dante agreed!

That, didn't make grown ups less weird though…

Always running around, her abuelos had their house filled with boxes and things that papi said were _important_ for Tia Vero's wedding.

But the worst, - the absolute worst! - was having to wear dress, after dress, after dress.. _and then,_ when the dress was the right one… she had to stay very still, with the dress on for _hours_ while Tia Lisa sticked pins on it, because it still wasn't perfect…

… And that's why she was never, ever getting married!

It was too much stress…

At least Keith understood her!

He hated trying suits just as much as she did. It was really funny to see him smile when papi and abuela made him try 'just one more' suit, but roll his eyes when only she and her siblings were looking…

Keith was nice!

When everyone started stressing out, he took them to the beach or the park and even Sylvio and Nadia tagged along!

It was fun!

At this very moment, sitting on a picnic blanket, in the middle of the park, eating an ice cream, with Dante sleeping by her side, Laura and Miguel stretched out, resting their heads on Kosmo, and her cousins playing cards with Keith, Sofia knew she was lucky.

She had the best family ever!

"Wanna come play too?" Keith asked her.

She shook her head, turning her attention back to her strawberry and pineapple ice cream, but not before giving Sylvio and mocking glare.

"No, thanks. He cheats." She told them, deadpan.

"No, I don't!" The boy whined.

"Yes, you do…" His sister confirmed, snickering.

"Hey!" Sylvio complained, armed with the typical McClain pout.

"Stop that." Keith warned the kids, putting on a serious face, though their bickering was actually quite funny.

But, according to Lance, _'You can't laugh at their antics, babe! If you get too permissive, they'll take for granted that they can get away with anything with you!'_

So, now he was trying to be more like Lance...which was a weird thought in itself and one that he never in a million years believed he would consider.

Still, Sylvio wasn't having it, pouting even harder.

"They started it!"

"And I'm finishing it!" Keith rose an eyebrow.

Nadia shot her brother an 'I told you so' look, quickly turning back to her cards, picking one and slamming it on top of Keith's Queen and Sylvio's 7, to show an Ace of spades.

"Oops…" She smirked. "Someone's gonna lose!"

Sylvio made a face and Keith simply shrugged.

"I'm tired of playing…" The boy muttered.

His sister pointed a finger at him.

"You say that because you're losing."

"Alright! Both of you!" Keith rolled his eyes. "What do you wanna do next?"

"Paddle Boats!" The kids screamed, even prompting Kosmo and Dante to get up and howl in time.

Keith chuckled.

"Ok, then. Paddle Boats it is! Let's get this on the car before getting the tickets. And you're all wearing vests!"

"We can swim, Tio Keith…" Sylvio crossed his arms. Nadia stared at him, elbowing him. "What?"

Keith was looking at the Sanchez siblings, with eyes wide open and a blush spreading across his face.

It was the first time the kids had called him _that_!

Had they  accepted him that quickly, that they just assumed that he was worthy of such a familiar name?

And how did he felt about that?

Sure thing, he wanted to stay and become a part of Lance's family, but he didn't really expected to be integrated that quickly, especially by the kids!

He recalled being very stubborn and resistant to change when he was their ages. And after his father died, he'd been even more closed off!

Maybe these kids' reactions _were_ normal!

Maybe that's what happened when you had a strong, healthy, loving family supporting you all the way!

Maybe welcoming another person amidst their family was natural and even celebrated!

They sure looked ecstatic about having Acxa as their official Aunt…

"Sorry…" Sylvio lowered his gaze. "But since you're Tio Lance's boyfriend now…"

"No, no, no!" Keith hurriedly got to the boy, resting his hands on his shoulders. "It's fine! You didn't do anything wrong! It's just… I'm not used to it, and your uncle and I have been together for a couple of months only… I don't mind it, but maybe you should check with your uncle if he's ok with it too, deal?" He smiled at Sylvio, flicking the boy's nose gently.

"Ok." Sylvio nodded, wide smile on his face. "I'll do that."

"Can we go now?" Sofia asked.

"As you wish…" Keith chuckled, giving the child a playful bow.

 

Yeah…

Grown ups were weird, Sofia thought to herself, smiling...

  
  


****[https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=15LTQF2RFz4&feature=share](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=15LTQF2RFz4&feature=share)*

 

"So, how was your day?" Lance asked, finally ending a very long day, helping his sister with the last preparations, which included making sure the wedding cake would be delivered without a failure, three days from now… and reassuring the stressful bride that everything would be just perfect!

"Quite Lance-less…" Keith snorted, laying on the bed beside his boyfriend.

"Sorry…" Lance lamented, pulling Keith closer and resting his head on his chest, relaxing with the steady sound of his boyfriend's heartbeat. "After all this is over, I'll compensate you. How about a weekend in Havana? Or maybe Cienfuegos?"

Keith smiled with the prospect of a weekend away with Lance. His fingers caressed the other man's curls.

"The kids would like that!" He said.

Lance snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Keith?"

"Hmmm?"

"I meant just you and me. The kids stay with my parents… Dante and Kosmo too!"

"Oh…"

" 'Oh', he says…" Lance wrapped his arm around Keith's waist,with an amused smiled. "You realise we have the right to have some 'Us' time, right? Like couples should do? Just you and me? You know, your very sexy boyfriend who's very needy of some quality time with his equally sexy boyfriend? Get my picture?"

"Oh, I get the picture!" Keith hummed, kissing the top of Lance's head. "What you mean is, 'Let's go to someplace far away, and book a hotel room where we can be as noisy was we desire.', right?"

"Well… I mean…" Lance peered at Keith. "You're not wrong, but there are nice things in both cities and I like showing you around…"

"You're an asshole!" Keith chuckled, holding tighter to Lance.

"But you looooove me!"

"And I keep questioning my sanity over that."

"Sure…" Lance said, unimpressed. "By the way. What was the deal with Sylvio and Nadia pulling me aside to ask permission to call you Tio?"

Keith sighed deeply.

"Yeah, that…" He smiled. "It's just that Sylvio, out of the blue, called me Tio and I was a bit…"

"Nervous? Overwhelmed?"

"Surprised! I mean, it was so fast, the way they just…"

"Assumed you're an integral part of the family? Oh, they're like that! You should ask Alicia and your sister how long it took them to start being addressed as Tia! I think Marco screeched like a kid in candy store when Alicia told him!"

"Don't tell me. It's the sort-of-official signal you've been 'adopted." Keith smirked.

"Pretty much, yeah!"

"So, you're cool with that?"

"Yes. Unless you're uncomfortable with it." Lance added quickly. The last thing he wanted was for Keith to feel overwhelmed by his family's headlong approach to their relationship.

"Actually, I'm not! Which honestly surprises the hell out of me!" Keith admitted.

"Quite a different reaction coming from someone whose main motto used to be 'What the fuck?!'" Lance joked.

"What can I say? Cuba changed me!"

"And here I was, vainly hoping _I_ was the cause for that change!" Lance mockingly whined.

"Well, you're the most important part of Cuba, sweetheart!" Keith smiled softly, letting his fingertips trace Lance's cheeks and chin.

"Wow!" Lance looked something between mesmerized and shocked.

"What?"

"You just used a pet name, babe! You never use pet names! Nicknames? Sure! But pet names? That's a first!"

"I just felt like it…" Keith blushed heavily.

"Please, feel like it as much as you want! I like it! Besides, you get that southern drawl out when you get all soft and sentimental, which I like, so there's that too!"

"Hmmm… good to know…" Keith turned to the side, rolling Lance with him, until they were facing each other. "What else do you like about me, darlin'?" He whispered, purposefully giving his words the Texan inflection he didn't use often anymore.

Lance wiggled his eyebrows playfully, squeezing Keith tightly.

"So many things…" He nudged his boyfriend's nose. "Guess I'll just have to spend the night showing you exactly what, uh, pretty boy?" He chuckled, crushing his lips against Keith's with unconcealed hunger.

"Please do!"

"Your wish is my command…"

Lance still didn't say the words.

He was that stubborn!

He made Keith a promise. Only in three days from now he would put into words every single feeling he now showed Keith, with his lips on the his skin, his hands tracing Keith's body, both of them bonded heart and soul, way beyond what any human word could convey.

_"I love you!"_

Their eyes, their mingled breaths, their every whisper and cry of pleasure, their bodies saying in time with their heartbeats…

All of it at the same time screamed and whispered their feelings in ways that transcended any existent language…

_"I love you!"_

And Lance did!

So much!

For so long!

  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. I've Been Waiting To Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News on the GC! Banter and running off the mouth...  
> In which Lance slips up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I know...  
> But, yet again, this popped out in my head and I just had to put it out there!  
> ONE CHAPTER TO GO!!!!!!!!!

**<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5tWYmIOWGk> **

 

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Guess who's here???

**Knives R Us**

Who?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

MOM!

**Knives R Us**

Hmmm, yeah, so?

She's like, oh you know…

THE MOTHER OF ONE OF THE BRIDES!

Her presence is basically mandatory?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

The thing is…

She's brought company!

And I don't mean grandpa…

Begins with a 'T'...

**Knives R Us**

Wait…

What?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Yup!

Tareys is BAAAAACK!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Uh…

Keith?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Have you passed out or some shit?

Kiddo?

**Knives R Us**

Sorry, sorry…

I'm still here.

Just had to go screech at my boyfriend, you know?

By the way, Lance says good morning and 'please don't come up with any last minute wedding related emergencies!'

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Relax…

All's cool!

Let me add him to the gc…

 **_ImAMermaid_ ** _was added to the gc._

**ImAMermaid**

Morning Acxa!

The wedding is in two days…

Please tell me everything's perfect…

I'm losing my shit and it's not even my wedding!

**Knives R Us**

'ImAMermaid'???

Really???

**ImAMermaid**

She's got a knife and my sister's undying love…

I don't really have a say.

**Knives R Us**

I have a knife too!

**ImAMermaid**

You're not changing my contact name on your phone…

One, you love me!

Two, I tickle!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

I'm still here, remember?

The woman with the knife?

Anyways…

Tareys is coming to the wedding!

I assume it means they're back together.

**ImAMermaid**

Aww…

Keith, babe!

You're gonna have a stepdad!

(Hopefully?!?)

**Knives R Us**

I'm cool with that!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Me too!

**ImAMermaid**

This is going to become a big ass family!

Didn't you say he's got like 4 sisters and 2 brothers?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Yes, I did!

And there's also 7 cousins to be gained if they actually stay together this time!

**ImAMermaid**

Family reunions are gonna be chaotic!

**Knives R Us**

...he says…

Wearing a stupid grin on his face…

Like he enjoys chaos!

**ImAMermaid**

Take a picture babe!

It will last longer…

**ImAMermaid**

Aaaaaaand he did…

**Knives R Us**

What?

You looked cute!

I'm gonna use it as your new contact pic!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Share the dopey face!

**ImAMermaid**

Keith, don't!

**Knives R Us**

_Sending multimedia_

**ImAMermaid**

Traitor…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Damn, Lance!

You look so fucking lame…

**ImAMermaid**

Excuse you?

I look good!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

If you like that kind of stuff…

**Knives R Us**

✋

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

No one asked you, 'thirsty'!

**Knives R Us**

Rude…

Also…

I'm not thirsty!!!

**ImAMermaid**

Can confirm.

I've been watering his crops properly.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

LANCE!!!

CAN YOU NOT?!?

**ImAMermaid**

What?

Not my fault if your mind is currently in the gutter!

**Knives R Us**

It's the pre-honeymoon mood…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

See what you did, Lance?

You turned my baby brother into an obnoxious asshole!

**ImAMermaid**

I'll take that as a compliment.

**Knives R Us**

I'm your baby brother!

Being obnoxious is in the contract!

Someone has to tone down your control freak side…

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

I'm not a control freak!

**Knives R Us**

You dragged me all the way to Earth…

Without asking me!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

And you can thank me for that…

**ImAMermaid**

She's got a point, babe.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Keith?

**ImAMermaid**

*Keith.exe has stopped working*

I think we broke him…

_Sending multimedia_

Last time I saw him like this, he was trying to understand why he had to say 'tron' when I said 'Vol'...

**Knives R Us**

Is this payback for sending Acxa your pic?

**ImAMermaid**

You're goddamn right it is, pretty boy!

**Knives R Us**

Hmmm…

Stop, maybe?

**ImAMermaid**

That's a negative.

**ImAMermaid**

Pretty Boy™!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Oh, it's 'pretty boy' now?

**Knives R Us**

Acxa?

Please don't encourage him…

**ImAMermaid**

Oh, I'm sorry if I found a pet name that makes my boyfriend light up like a Christmas tree!

You look extra cute when you're all flushed!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Too much information!

**Knives R Us**

He didn't mean it //like that//!!!

Jeez!

Go get your fiancee and just…

Decompress! Ok?

In three days from today, you'll be waking up in Florence by your wife's side!

Until then…

Chill!

Please!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

I'm not stressed!

**Knives R Us**

╮(′～‵〞)╭

**ImAMermaid**

╮(′～‵〞)╭

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Ok…

You know what?

Fine!

I AM stressed!!

All I want is to get married, go on my honeymoon, come back home…

AND NEVER HEAR ANOTHER WORD ABOUT DRESSES AND CAKES AND FLOWERS!

I'm doing all of this because I absolutely love Veronica!

And I want the woman who means the world to me, to have the wedding ceremony she always dreamed about!

Okay?

I'm so goddamn on edge right now, i could scream!

**Knives R Us**

You ok?

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

I will be…

**ImAMermaid**

Go.

Get.

Veronica.

I mean it!

Believe me, she's dealing with the same levels of anxiety as you!

She'll be thankful to spend the day with you!

Go.

Now.

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

You're right.

**ImAMermaid**

I usually am…

I don't understand why people get so surprised by that!

Now, excuse me…

I've got fatherly duties to attend.

Say 'Bye, Lance and Keith!'

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Bye, Klance!

**Knives R Us**

What, now???

Klance???

What the hell???

**ImAMermaid**

Aww, man…

Now I have to explain it to him…

Thank you so much, Acxa!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

You're welcome.

Chao, pescao!

**ImAMermaid**

Y a la vuelta, picadillo!

**Knives R Us**

why are you like this???

**ImAMermaid**

I'm pretty sure I explained you this expression already, but...

You know...

I can do that again, why not?

You're lucky you're hot as fuck and I love you...

**Knives R Us**

Oooooooooooooooooooh!!!!!

**ImAMermaid**

Shit...

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Screenshot and sent to ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE!!!

**ImAMermaid**

AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

No!

Come on!

This was the least romantic shit I've ever done!

I had plans!

Good plans!

Keith stop staring at me like a cat at a canary challenge failed...

**Knives R Us**

Love you too!

**OriginalKnifeGirl**

Dorks!

get off my gc and go make out or something...

Bye!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I give up...  
> I can't find any more suitable titles from Walk The Moon songs...  
> But Imagine Dragons works too!


	18. Keep Your Eyes On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding day is here. The family gathered to witness Acxa and Veronica's vows as both begin a new journey together.
> 
> Keith and Lance also make their path clear as the former makes his choice...  
> ... Allura comes bearing a gift!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cheesy conclusion to Talking Is Hard is here and I think everyone knew this would be a happy ending...
> 
> I'm planning a type of Epilogue fic to this, so...  
> ...ya never know!
> 
> Always assume the bride's dresses and the guests are inspired by Mak Tumang's creations!  
> If you don't know who he is, you should definitely check his Insta!

The big day had finally arrived and he was a mess…

It wasn't even _his_ wedding!

It wasn't like it was the first wedding within his siblings!

Marco's wedding two years ago had been another chaotic event, though one Lance had sailed through smoothly…

But Vero's wedding? That was a whoooole other story…

First of all, he had, for the first time, to handle with the pressure and responsibilities of being his sister's best man.

Second, Keith, as Acxa's best man, was gonna be right there in front of him, looking all kinds of sexy and seriously testing his concentration.

Third and last, but by no means the least, HE HAD CAREFULLY LAID OUT PLANS! 

Plans to shake Keith's world with the lamest, most romantic love confession like...ever!

Plans that he blew apart on a goddamn gc!

Of all the stupid things…!

So, that part was out the window and now he was stuck in the middle of feeling quite content with Keith feeling even more loose, if that was the right term, and open after his impromptu confession, and feeling disappointed for not being able to go through it his plan.

His life would be so much easier if things could just go according to his careful planning… Was it to much to ask for???

Not that moping around would help, but would that stop him? Hell no!

"Laaaaance!" Veronica whined, looking positively frustrated towards her baby brother. "Stop sulking! What the hell's the matter with you? You're spreading bad vibes on _my_ wedding day…"

Rachel snorted, helping Veronica with the small pearly buttons on the back of the dress.

"He's still upset that he blurted out his love confession over text message."

"Because...it's… I didn't...ugh…" Lance's shoulders slumped as he left the settee, looking gravely at his sisters. "It was so… underwhelming… Keith deserved better than a goddamn text on a gc! I wanted it to be memorable. Something he would remember like, _forever_! Preferably…"

"Oh, he will! Don't worry about that! Everyone has the screenshots as evidence." Rachel gave Lance a lopsided grin. "I'll print it 50x70, frame it and offer it to both of you, knuckleheads, when you get married."

"Cool your jets, Tata…" Lance gestured with his hands. "Keith and I have been dating for two months only. Let's not go overboard here!"

"Pfff…" Veronica rolled her eyes. "Like that's not the next chapter of this story…" 

"They already are living together!" Rachel nodded. "I mean…"

"It's _not_ living together! It was just a waste of money for Keith to have a room at the resort that he only used for sleeping at…"

"And not even _that_!"

"RACHEL!" Lance croaked.

"Am I wrong though?"

"She's got you there, hermanito…"

"I hate both of you…"

"We love you too." Rachel and Veronica stepped in to hug Lance, who was not doing a convincing job of pretending to be annoyed at his sisters. 

"Ok, ok!" He giggled. "Stop that, both of you! Mami will kill us if we get to the venue with crumpled clothes." Still holding on to his sister's hands, he looked at them. Vero looked like a princess in that aqua A-line dress, and Rachel complemented her perfectly with her off-shoulder long dress that was just two shades more to the green side. 

Acxa and Veronica's 'A Day at the Beach' wedding theme, evoking the colours that the sea showed from sunrise till sunset, had his and Vero's side of the guests representing the day time and Acxa's side representing the dusk. 

It was going to be quite a spectacular sight when everyone got together for the group photo!

And of course, the brides had managed to coerce Keith and him into suits the same colours of their own eyes because, and quote: _"Aww, come on Lance… it's almost poetic! You with a suit looking like the a sunny sky and Keith with a suit looking looking like a full moon sky? You just have to! Please?"_

Small detail…

Vero made puppy eyes and Mami was present…

He knew when he was defeated.

Besides, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit curious to see how good Keith would rock that suit!

Man, he had it bad!

"Vero! Lo coche llegó, hija!" They heard their mom calling out.

"I'm coming!"

"Ready?" Lance smiled sweetly.

"Hell yeah!" She answered, the brightest, widest smile taking over her features. She walked like she was floating on air, aiming tender glances at her grandparents and her brothers, taking her father's hand as he helped her into the backseat of the car.

Uncle Bernardo, that had claimed chauffeur duties, welcomed her with a cheery chuckle.

"You look like a princess, mi niña! Acxa will be speechless, mark my words!"

"I sure hope not! I need her to say 'I do'!"

Bernardo let out a resounding laugh, driving away.

The rest of the family drove behind in a happy procession…

 

***

 

"Oh, no… I'm a blue blur…"

"Acxa!" Keith pinched the bridge of his nose. "For the last time… you look awesome. You do not, I repeat, do _not_ look like a blue blur! It's Royal Blue with silver accents! It looks great! _You_ look great!" He held his sister's arms, trying to comfort a very self conscious Acxa. "And stop biting your lip! The lipstick will come off… Mom! MOM!" Keith called out.

Krolia came rushing in, with her daughter's bouquet on her hands, looking stunning in a shimmering, degrade, purple-blue long dress.

"What is it now?" She eyed her children with exasperation.

"Can you please tell your daughter she looks amazing?" Keith almost whined.

Krolia passed the bouquet into her son's hand, holding her daughter's hands gently.

"Honey? You are beautiful! Veronica won't be able to take her eyes off of you! You're perfect, sweetheart… now, let's get this show on the road! Your grandfather is waiting for you."

She looked at her children, with a proud glint in her eyes.

"Look at you two… you both look amazing." She took both of them into her arms, holding them tight and kissing their cheeks.

"Mom…" Both siblings let out a mock complaint.

"Ready?" Krolia asked.

"I sure am!" Acxa took her mother's hand, taking the bouquet from Keith. "You?" She side-eyed him.

"Why do I need to be ready?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not the one getting married!"

"Yet…" Krolia mumbled, rolling her eyes and taking a sudden interest in checking her nails.

"That...actually wasn't as smooth as you think, mom…" Keith squinted at her, clearly unimpressed. "I am not gonna jump into premature proposals, thank you very much, and my question still stands."

"Come on Keith!" Acxa chuckled. "You know that Lance is going to do something extra lame on the reception to compensate the fact that he accidentally confessed to you by text!"

"He doesn't have to! I don't really care _how_ he said it… what's important is that he _did_ say it! I'm happy either way, ok? He doesn't need to go all extra on me!"

"Not needing and not doing it, are two very different things…" Acxa reminded him.

"Just one question…" Krolia turned to Keith. "Since we all know you're staying here and that you're practically living together already… Do I get to consider Lance's kids as my grandchildren already?"

"I… uh… mom…" Keith groaned. "I don't know! Don't ask me!"

" Yeah, mom…" Acxa snorted. "That's the kind of question you should ask your future son-in-law!"

"Oh, my God…" Keith huffed. "Will you two stop? I'm gonna get a migraine… I'm the one who's dating Lance… stop trying to plan my future!"

"So...you don't want to marry him?" Krolia asked.

"Well… yeah! Eventually… one day. But not right now! Can't we just… take it slow?"

"Slower than seven years?" 

"Acxa!" Keith warned.

Acxa made a gesture of zipping her lips.

"Can we just please go?" He asked, with a frustrated sigh.

He'd been trying to ignore the fact that he just _knew_ Lance was gonna try and do something to compensate the gc confession, because that _was_ a Lance thing to do…

But of course, neither his sister nor his mom would pass out the opportunity to needle him a bit more!

Not that he was nervous.

Which he wasn't.

He was just mentally preparing himself to be properly embarrassed by his boyfriend…

His boyfriend!

His boyfriend… Lance!

And yeah, ok, that still made weird things to his stomach…

...and his heart…

… made him smile like a doofus…

… and maybe - occasionally- scream internally!

Seven years…

More like twelve wholeass years pining like an idiot over Lance!

"You're smiling like an idiot." Acxa said.

"Shush… get in the car and leave me alone!" Keith grumbled, though his tone was playful. "Grandpa, can you please take her away? She's bullying me…"

Kolivan took his granddaughter's hand, helping her into the backseat while Keith opened the door for his mother. He simply shook his head at their banter. 

"Hey, Tareys! You're sure you can drive the car?" Keith leaned into the driver's seat of the car that would take Acxa to the beach venue.

"Kid," He answered, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. "I've been flying spaceships since way before you were born! I think I can handle an Earthling vehicle, thank you very much!"

Keith patted Tareys on the shoulder, with a warm smile.

He liked the guy!

10/10 on becoming his future stepdad!

"Right!" He clapped his hands once. "Let's get this show on the road!"

 

***

 

"I, Veronica Inés Hernández McClain, take you Acxa for my wife, my companion. I pledge to you my life, my heart, for ever and ever. I choose to walk this path with you. I cherish the thought of waking up by your side, every day, until we're gray and old. Whatever life throws at us, I know we can face it together, hand in hand, side by side, strong in our love, with our family by our side. To love you is as natural as breathing. You are kind, brave, strong willed. There's nothing about you that I don't love. You are my perfect fit." Veronica took Acxa's right hand, sliding the white gold band encrusted with amethysts all around, as she said her vows, with warm tears tracing her smiling features.

"I, Acxa, take you, Veronica Inés Hernandez McClain for my wife, my companion. I pledge to you my life, my heart, forever and ever. You gave me a home when I felt lost. You gave me clarity when I was confused. You gave me steadiness when I wavered. With you I found a reason to dream of a future. You made me want to fight for it, to get up and face the possibilities in front of me, with open arms and a heart that became unafraid to love, because you showed me how wonderful love can be. To love you was the best thing that ever happened to me. To love you made me feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. To love you made me a better person. I have hopes and dreams, where before there was a sense of void. I finally know who I am and what I want. I choose to walk this path with you, because the thought of sharing my life with you makes me hopeful of the future. You are light incarnate, you are happiness, you are selfless, courageous, beautiful inside and out. You are my whole heart!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, as Acxa took Veronica's right hand and gently, almost reverently slid the matching ring onto her ring finger. She took her hand to her lips, placing a soft kiss there.

"You are now legally married." The officiant announced with a smile. 

The guests cheered loudly, not a dry eye to be found.

Veronica and Acxa, now wives, leaned into each other, to seal their heartfelt vows with a kiss while the crowd stood up clapping their hands. 

Standing behind them, Allura, Romelle and Keith on one side, Rachel, Shay and Lance on the other. They gazed adoringly at both women, happy to share this special moment with them.

Hand in hand, the newly wedded wives, passed by the guest, being showered with rose petals and rice, giggling and waving at their family and friends, bright smiles on everyone's faces.

Lance reached for Keith's hand and they were soon joined by the kids.

As they followed the brides, Shiro and Kuron gave them a knowing smile. Curtis mouthed _"You're next!"_ while Adam simply groaned at his brother-in-law…

"Aw, man… not them too…" Lance sighed, though there was no real hint of annoyance in his voice.

Keith smirked, holding Lance's hand tighter. 

"Don't tell me…" He rolled his eyes. "Everyone and their mother's been interrogating you about any future plans to marry me?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Same here but with a bit more bullying…"

"Don't worry. It's the overall wedding mood!" Lance shrugged. "They'll get over it after Vero and Acxa leave for their honeymoon. Then we can get back to do things our way and in our own rhythm..."

Keith wiggled his eyebrows, suggestively, causing Lance to roll his eyes at him.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Mullet!” 

“For the last time, It’s not a mullet!” Keith huffed.

“Yes, it is.” Lance taunted him. “A long mullet, but a mullet nevertheless…”

 

***

 

The night breeze and the echoes of the waves rolling, were a welcomed pause to the chaotic energy inside the wedding reception hall. It's not that he didn't like to mingle with his friends and share the happiness with his family, but it could get overwhelming at times and he just needed a few small breaks away from the deafening noise and the bubbling raucous crowd. 

He just needed to breathe…

Thankfully, Lance understood him more deeply then he'd ever dared hope for. He knew it all could get too much, too loud, too oppressive and that a moment of quiet was all he needed.

"I thought I would find you here…" 

Keith turned slightly, watching as Allura appeared next to him, but not before closing back the balcony's glass door so the loud music and laughter wouldn't bother them.

"Hey, Allura."

"Hey…" She smiled sweetly. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmm… I know what you're trying to get at, you know?" He smiled back, his back to the rail and his eyes on Allura's. "You want to know if I made a decision about my commission with the Blades."

"Well, have you?"

"You know I have…" Keith smiled at Allura. "It really wasn't that hard, you know? Choosing between missions on what feels like the opposite side of the Universe, or taking up a position in the South American branch of the Garrison, was a no-brainer!"

Allura cupped her friend's face, looking into his eyes like she could uncover his darkest secrets only by gazing into his purple irises.

"All for Lance?" She asked.

Keith shook his head with a smile.

"For myself, Allura…" He reassured her. "I didn't just fall in love with Lance, you know? I fell in love with his kids, his family. I fell in love with Cuba, with its people, with its culture! I'm not sure I could go back to El Paso on a permanent basis anymore, though I love my birthplace too… But here? I can't really explain it, I just feel at home. I feel at peace, comfortable. I feel like I finally belong…"

"Yet, I still can't quite imagine you as a full time teacher…" Allura frowned slightly. "You've always been restless, always on the move. I'm just worried you'll end up feeling bored and that will affect your relationship with Lance."

Keith chuckled.

"I can always take up some joint missions when the Space Itch strikes!"

"What if I told I have the perfect solution?"Allura crossed her arms, a lopsided grin on her face. "Thanks to your efforts to reform the Blade Of Marmora into a multitask, varied missions organization instead of remaining exclusively a paramilitary force, they've been able to branch out into other worlds. Meaning the Blades have started to recruit outside the Galra. I've spoken to Kolivan and he's been showing himself quite open to finally install a branch here on Earth."

Keith's eyes widened and his breath held in his throat. Allura simply smiled at him and handed him a datacard - a holographic flat surface, not bigger than Keith's hand. - tapping onto it, an image floating in front of their faces.

"Congratulations… _Commander_ …" She pulled him into a hug, while a surprised Keith gaped.

"You… you didn't… I… Allura!" He felt speechless.

"You've been put in charge of Earth's first Blade Of Marmora branch. Acxa will be your Second-In-Command."

" You're serious! This is really happening!" Keith couldn't help but to smile. "Wait… where will the facilities be?"

"Ah, yes…" Allura snorted. "There were many opinions on where it should be… but you know what? Both me and Kolivan are being absolutely partial about this, so we've decided to start the new headquarters' construction in Havana." She nodded.

Keith momentarily froze, but in the space of a heartbeat, he'd pulled Allura into a tight hug.

"Thank you…" He whispered, feeling happier than ever. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

Allura rolled her eyes.

"I was never mad at you, Keith… I mean, it's not like you ever _showed_ you were jealous of me! Though if I'd known that was why you left Lance behind, I'd have knocked some sense into your thick skull!" She pushed him away playfully, shaking her head.

Keith shrugged.

"Things are as they are and there's nothing we can do to change the past."

"I take it you've finally been talking about everything?"

"We've talked…" Keith answered vaguely.

"Keith…" Allura side eyed him.

"What?"

"You did tell him _why_ you left for the Blades that first time, right?"

Keith looked up, whistling.

"...right…?" Allura insisted.

"Uh… I take it 'No' is the wrong answer?" Keith winced.

Allura threw her hands up, mumbling rapidly in Altean.

"Unbelievable!!!" Allura bit out. "You didn't think _that_ was an important piece of information?"

"Well…"

"Let me tell you something!" She poked him on the chest. "Lance assumed you just didn't really care about the team, and therefore him, which is why he was furious that you'd left! Don't you think he deserves to know you did it _for him_?"

"I guess…?" Keith shrugged.

"I'm…" Allura pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know what? Fine… not tonight. This is Acxa and Veronica's night. Just… go out there. Go have fun with your boyfriend. Drag that man into the dance floor and have a blast! But you will talk to him about this soon!"

Keith took a deep breath, offering her his arm and walking back into the wedding reception.

"I promise."

"Thank you! You give me white hairs…" Allura joked.

"Haha… nice try. You were born with those, so one less thing you can blame on me."

"Just one." Allura opened the door, the loud music engulfing them. She spotted Lance waving at him. "Special delivery!" She chuckled, pushing Keith gently towards 9his boyfriend's direction. Allura disappeared into the dancing crowd, leaving the two alone.

"You good?" Lance questioned him, pulling Keith closer, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Yup."

"Come dance then…" Lance flashed him an inviting smile, backing into the middle of the dance floor, taking Keith along. "Listen… they're playing our song!"

Keith paid attention to the song that had just started playing and smiled.

"I guess they are…" 

The first notes of 'Shut Up And Dance' echoed as both men chuckled, taking the dance floor, beginning to move in time, eyes locked and bright smiles…

 

_"We were victims of the night_

_The chemical, physical, kryptonite_

_Helpless to the bass and the fading light_

_Oh we were bound to get together_

_Bound to get together"_

 

Their friends and family, dancing around them, smiled happy to see the two of them, having finally arrived at the place where they all knew they belonged.

In each other's arms…

Lance and Keith.

Hand in hand.

Side by side.

Advancing steadily through the path of bliss…

"Lance?"

"Yes?" Lance pulled him back into his arms, making Keith twirl as he approached.

"What do you think about about a Blade Of Marmora branch in Havana?" He smiled brightly.

"What do I think…? Uh, who do I have to bribe?" Lance snorted, making both of them spin in place.

"Absolutely no one!" Keith locked one arm, stealing a kiss as they twirled happily through the floor. "You can however congratulate its new Commander!" He winked.

Lance stopped suddenly.

"What?" His eyes were bright.

"Allura and Kolivan decided the best people to be left in charge, were myself and Acxa acting as my second-in-command. Of course we'll need someone to act as liaison between the Garrison and the Blades." He gave Lance a knowing smile. "If you want it, of course…"

"If I…" Lance brightened, pulling Keith into a crushing hug, stealing quick, soft kisses. "Hell yeah, I do! Oh, my God! This is awesome!" Lance lifted Keith in his arms, causing him to yelp, spinning them around. "I love you so much!"

Keith chuckled.

"I love you too, but please put me down!"

"Does that mean you'll stay?" Lance put him back down, resting his forehead against Keith's.

"No force in this universe could tear me away from you, Lance." Keith whispered. "I love you."

"I swear, if you go on a whim and propose to Keith on _my wedding reception_ , I will kill you, Lance!"

Veronica's voice startled the pair, causing them to almost jump back. Lance's sister was holding her wife's waist, and thought her tone had been of admonishment, she sported a wide smile…

...which brought no comfort to Lance, anyway…

"I'll have you know I'm perfectly capable of doing things rationally and with time…" Lance smirked. "I don't just rush into things…"

"You broke curfew," Veronica started enumerating by her fingers. "went after Keith, ran off into the desert, found the Blue Lion and disappeared into outer space!"

"... anymore…" Lance squinted. "If you'd let me finish."

Keith and Acxa smiled at the siblings' banter, being reminded just why they'd fallen in love with their respective McClains…

"What?" Both McClain siblings asked.

"Nothing." Acxa answered, pulling Veronica closer and kissing her soundly on her cheek.

Keith simply shrugged, waving at the women and dragging Lance out of the dance floor and back to their table where the kids seemed to struggle to remain awake.

"I'm tired… my feet hurt…" Miguel whined, reaching for Keith who pulled the boy into his lap. Laura took example and headed to Lance, leaving Sofia sitting in their middle, yawning. 

"Papi, can we go?" Sofia asked.

"What time is it?" He asked Keith.

"Almost 3 in the morning."

"Right… time to pull the family man card and say goodbye to the rest of them!"

"We're going home?" Laura slurred, almost asleep in her father's arms.

"We're going home." Keith said.

There was something about the way he'd said it that made Sofia perk up and gaze at Keith with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Are you staying?" The little girl asked.

Keith and Lance exchanged a complicit look…

"For as long as you want me to." Keith ruffled her hair.

"I want you to stay forever." She answered shyly.

A drowsy Miguel giggled in Keith's arms.

"...You my dad now…" 

And he went back to sleep…

Keith's eyes glistened, tears threatening to fall. He looked at Lance with a silent question. 

Lance smiled widely, nodding.

The answer, though not spoken, was in his eyes…

_"You're their father now!"_

They were a family!

Lance got up, Laura  still holding to his neck, reaching out for Keith who took his hand.

"Let's go home."

 

********

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: In Cuba (and most Latino Americano countries), the dad's surname comes BEFORE the mother's surname and the women keep their maiden names!  
> Which means it's Rosa who's a McClain and Alejandro (Lance's dad) who's a Hernandez!  
> Also means neither Nadia nor Sylvio are McClains.  
> Same sex couples, of course, get to choose the naming order for their kids!


End file.
